Even the history of this striking flower is rich with reverence. Called "Espina de Cristo" (Christ's thorns) by Spanish Christian missionaries who first discovered it in South America, each part of the flower holds symbolic meaning in recognition of the crucifixion story - the passion of the Christ. Five sepals and five petals refer to the ten faithful apostles (excluding Judas and Peter). Three stigma represent the three nails that held Christ to the cross, while five anthers represent his five sacred wounds. The tendrils of the flower are said to resemble the whips used in the flagellation, while the filaments, which can number in excess of a hundred depending on the flower, depict the crown of thorns. This powerful symbolism has led to the inclusion of the Passion Flower among the ornamentation of various churches, such as in stained glass window designs, altar frontals and lectern falls.

But the Passion Flower is sacred even outside the Christian world. In India, for example, the flower's structure is interpreted according to the story of the five Pandava brothers, with the Divine Krishna at the center, opposed by the army of one hundred at the outside edges. The pigment of the blue Passion Flower is said to be associated with the color of Krishna's aura.