timed for Easter (if you are Christian)

I am not particularly religious, but I do find religious symbolism interesting. The “passion” in passion flower refers to the passion of Jesus in Christian theology; the word passion comes from the Latin passio, meaning ‘suffering’. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish Christian missionaries adopted the unique physical structures of this plant, particularly the numbers of its various flower parts, as symbols of the last days of Jesus and especially his crucifixion. If you are curious, check out the Wiki page on passion flowers—every single part of the flower had symbolism for those Spanish missionaries. It’s ironic, because when I look at the flower, I see an exuberantly structured bloom with all its sex parts thrust forward. Everyone sees the world differently.

passion flower (Passiflora)