Blog

EcoMaste is engaging, participating, and making a difference.

Welcome to our blog. We invite you to read our posts and feel free to leave a few comments! Your feed back is much appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to learn about Natural Building and a little bit more of what we are up to at our sanctuary. If you have any questions or would like to connect directly, please send us an email at info@ecomaste.com

Wholeness, Much Love, and Pura Vida.

Plant Profile-Passion Flower

Passion Flower or Passiflora is part of a genus with around 550 species of flower plants.

It is part of the Passifloraceae family. With such a vast diversity it produces a variety of stunning flowers and fruits.

There is some confusion over the fruits that the Passiaflora genus bears. Here is some information to clear things up:

The most widely known and edible fruits can be divided into four categories:

Purple Passion fruit ( Passiflora edulis Sims),
Yellow Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa Deg.),
Sweet Granadilla fruit (Passiflora ligularis),
Giant Granadilla fruit (Passiflora quadrangularis L.)

WikiPedia.Passion Fruit.2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023 from, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passion_fruit_(fruit)

This beautiful and fascinating plant has a long history of use in traditional medicine and as a decorative addition to gardens. This stunning vine boasts intricate, showy flowers and delicious fruit, making it a beloved plant for gardeners and nature enthusiasts alike.

The passion flower is native to the southeastern United States, but can now be found growing in many other parts of the world. It is a perennial vine that can grow up to 30 feet long and produces large, complex blooms that are truly breathtaking.

The flowers have a unique shape with a central disc surrounded by a crown of filaments and a fringe of purple petals. They bloom from midsummer to fall and are often visited by bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Here in Costa Rica our Passion Flower has been blooming since mid-April and currently is full of flowers blooming and just about to open!

Folklore & History: The name passion flower is derived from people associating this beautiful flower with the Passion of Christ. The 10 petals represent the 10 of the 12 disciples, excluding Judas and Peter, the 5 stamens represent the wounds of Christ. The knob-like stigmas have a resemblance to nails and the petals are similar to the crown of thorns.

Passionflower – Plant of the Month, March 2022. Retrieved Apr 28, 2023 from, https://www.holisticlivingschool.org/2022/02/21/passionflower-plant-of-the-month-march-2022/

Traditional & Practical Medicinal uses: In addition to its ornamental value, passion flower has a long history of use in traditional medicine. Native Americans used the plant to treat anxiety and insomnia, and it was later introduced to Europe as a natural sedative. Today, passion flower is still used as a natural remedy for anxiety, insomnia, and other nervous system disorders. Its calming properties are thought to be due to the presence of compounds like flavonoids and alkaloids.

The flowers, vines and stems can all be utilized; however, the flowers are best used for culinary purposes. They can bring a slight sweetness to salad and tea.

The leaves and vines can be made into teas, tinctures and capsules for their medicinal properties.

Magical Uses: Passion flower placed in the home to ease tension, problems and bring forth peace. Its power is peace, sleep and friendships. When carried it attracts friends and popularity. You can place under your pillow to support sleep.

Passion flower fruit is delicious and nutritious. The fruit is small and round, with a tough outer shell and juicy, aromatic flesh inside. It is high in vitamins A and C, as well as antioxidants and fiber. The fruit is used in a variety of culinary dishes, from jams and jellies to smoothies and cocktails.

Whether you are interested in its medicinal properties, its ornamental value, its delicious fruit or magical powers, the passion flower is a fascinating and beautiful plant that is sure to delight. So why not add this stunning vine to your garden or home today?

Resources:

WikiPedia.Passion Fruit.2023. Retrieved April 28, 2023 from, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passion_fruit_(fruit)

Soto, B.B. Passion Flower – Plant of the Month, March 2022. Retrieved Apr 28, 2023 from, https://www.holisticlivingschool.org/2022/02/21/passionflower-plant-of-the-month-march-2022/

Passiflora ligularis - Juss.Retrieved Apr 28, 2023 from, https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Passiflora+ligularis

Cunningham, Scott. Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs.1985.

If you enjoyed this article be sure to opt into our email list. Scroll to the bottom of our homepage to subscribe!

Become a Subscriber

To learn more about medicinal plants Join Amanda Luna for guided Plant Walks by appointment

Learn more

Earth Day Rituals

There are many ways we can honor and live in right relation to the natural world. Earth day is of course not the only day we can focus our energy on supporting and loving Mother Nature, but it can give us an extra nudge to perhaps trade in some of our daily actions for ones that are more regenerative and sustainable.

There are many simple and small habitual rituals you can incorporate into your daily routine that will make grounded and lasting changes that make a big difference.

Ways you can cultivate a more reciprocal relationship with Mother Nature:

Greet all nature like you would a dear friend. Nature provides us with so much, the least we can do is offer her our presence.

How to be present with nature?

I know this might seem obvious to many and to some it might not be, so here are some ways to cultivate presence:

When you go into nature, turn off your phone.
Breath deeply and notice.
Feel the ground underneath you.
Start a conversation a simple how are you is just fine, listen, feel, smell, touch, taste (ask permission).
Ask nature to show what a yes or a no feels or looks like.
Be patient and persistent.
Ask whatever you’re connecting if you can offer them something.
Invite a genuine feeling of gratitude. If you feel blocked just think of all the things nature has given you up to this point in your life.

2. Create plan of how you can adopt more eco-friendly practices.

These practices are simple and manageable, yes maybe one day you’ll live a zero-waste lifestyle. In the meantime set yourself up for small goals that you know you can implement into your life.

Here are some ideas:

Refuse single use products.
Bring a reusable bag wherever you go or better yet just leave a few in your car or in another bag you use. Investing in some quality handcrafted baskets is also another wonderful alternative and if you want to get wild you could even learn how to weave your own, but let's not get ahead ourselves..
Invest in a quality reusable water bottle or thermos and bring it with you.
Make an effort to carpool or use public transportation. It’s likely that if there is an event you want to go to, so do other people in your area. You can join a community carpooling chat or create one. It helps your wallet and reduces your carbon footprint!
Start transitioning into making your own DIY biocompatible cleaning products. There are so many amazing recipes out there on how to make your own disinfectant for example. You can continue to reuse the sprayer you have from old cleaning products. In a 1 liter bottle mix 1:1 ratios mix white rice vinegar & rubbing alcohol and essential oils 10-15 drops of essential oils. Some essential oils that are especially good because they are anti-microbial are; tea tree, lavender, oregano, citrus, peppermint. For more cleaning recipes click here
Stop buying herbs in the grocery store and start growing your own herbs. Start off slow. Whatever is your favorite herb, research what kind of environment they need: soil, sun, space, watering and if accessible create that environment, if not choose something that is more low maintenance.
Put your money where your values are. Amazon prime does not have your, the environment’s or future generations' wellbeing in mind, do you? If the answer is yes take responsibility for your actions, drop blame and shame, and shift how, what and why you consume.
Support local, fair trade, sustainable businesses that value and prioritize environmentally friendly practices.
Be compassionate with yourself and the world around you. The ways we've harmed our planet have accelerated at a shocking rate since we shifted our values, from local to mass production, from relying on the Pharmacy instead of the FARMs and gardens we used to have in our backyards. It take didn't thousands of years for the damage we've created to occur. It took a mindset of greed, separation and consumerism. The solution we seek must come from a different mindset than from the one this problem was created. Change your relationship to nature from it being something outside of you, to remembering that you are in fact nature.

Lots of love and green blessings. Now get out there and do something for the beautiful planet we share, we believe in you!

If this article piqued your interest and you are wanting to learn more about

Regenerative Living you're encouraged to find out more about our upcoming

Living Regeneration Immersion May 25th-29th

Learn more

Plant Profile- Flor de Jamaica

Flor de Jamaica (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Flor de Jamaica is known by many names including; Roselle or Sorrel. It’s not only stunning but is a highly versatile plant that is native to tropical and subtropical parts of Africa and Asia. Hibiscus is the genus of the Malvaceae family.

This beauty is known for its captivating calyces which attract attention from plant people and pollinators alike! Growing upwards of 7 ft or 2 meters and has large green leaves which are heart-shaped and deeply lobed. The striking red calyces are the fleshy structure that protects the flower bud. The calyces are rich with antioxidants and have tart, cranberry flavor that is complimentary in many culinary dishes.

Roselle is a sun loving plant so be sure to plant it somewhere it will get plenty of sun and have a good amount of space to grow, 3-6 feet. You can plant smaller complimentary herbs around the base that like part/sun, part/shade like Gotu Kola. They typically grow in warm humid climates and require well-draining soil and regular watering. They are a highly adaptable plant and can be grown in containers if you would like to keep your plant smaller.

This amazing plant has a long history of traditional medicinal use. The calyces are rich in vitamin C and have shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. They are often used to treat a wide range of ailments such as, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, wound healing, ease menstrual discomfort, fever, and urinary tract infections.

In addition to its medicinal properties, the Roselle plant is highly valued for its culinary uses. The calyces are used for natural food dyeing, tea, juice, jam and wine. Many cultures enjoy Roselle tea and it is a popular herbal remedy that is believed to have a range of medicinal properties including improving digestion and improve liver health.

Overall, Hibiscus sabdariffa is a multi-purposed and wonderful plant with a variety of both medicinal and culinary uses. Its striking appearance, bright tart flavor and rich cultural history makes it an easy choice to include in your home garden.