These beautiful flowering vines are the bane of just about anyone with a fence row and electric fence. I've ripped out countless plants on the fence for the mule and they seem to come back no sooner than you've tossed the vines on the compost heap (or to the goats).
I know I should have been looking up uses for this vegetation because it seems as soon as I start ripping out entire jungles of this-or-that, I find out that they actually have some useful property.
Oh, I know, they have cute little egg-shaped fruits that "POP" when you stomp on them (hence the name Maypop) and that their ripe fruits are yummy (although a pain to eat), which would seem more than enough reason to keep them around, but when they are shorting out the electric fence in the pasture it's time for them to go.
I've been keeping a few here and there around the gardens when they aren't in the way, mostly because I do occasionally enjoy snacking on them and the flowers are beautiful to look at. But now I'm really going to make sure they have a spot here because I've just now tried making a tea out of the leaves and stems......and I absolutely love it.
Just recently I read that passion flower leaves and stems are used as tea for treating anxiety. Which, without yammering on too much to bore you, is what I have been dealing with for quite some time now. I made a tea from passion flower leaves and lemon balm, stuffed them in a quart jar, poured boiling water over it and put the lid on. After about ten or fifteen minutes of letting it steep, I poured the liquid into a glass with ice, put in a few drops of liquid stevia and gave it a stir.
I drank two 32-ounce glasses of it yesterday. And as soon as I'm off the computer and home from the feed store (damned ingrate goats are almost out of grain), I'm going to make myself another big ol' glass of Passion Flower & Lemon Balm iced tea.
I drank two 32-ounce glasses of it yesterday. And as soon as I'm off the computer and home from the feed store (damned ingrate goats are almost out of grain), I'm going to make myself another big ol' glass of Passion Flower & Lemon Balm iced tea.
Interesting I have never seen that flower up here. All we get is the damnable morning glory or Poison ivy.
ReplyDeleteWhile I'm not happy to hear you are dealing with a truckload of anxiety, I am glad to know you've got an abundant crop of anti-anxiety stuff. What does Passion Flower tea taste like? Should I try introduce yet another invasive species up here? (Just kidding govmint men who listen in on everything....)
ReplyDeleteGreat you found a good tasting tea (made from natural ingredients!) that's supposed to help with the ol' anxiety issues. Wanna start marketing it? I'll buy some! :o)
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm, that kind of sounds good!
ReplyDelete