An Interview with Maypop: Uses and Doctrine of Signatures
Maypop is the seedpod of the passionflower vine. It has some intriguing medicinal qualities, including being sedative and calming. The following video shares some insights I received while having a little chat with maypop. There’s also a principle called the Doctrine of Signatures, which is the belief that a plant gives clues as to its uses by what it looks like. The passionflower’s maypop seems to be one of these plants.
Maypop: Possible Fire Ant Remedy
A couple days after making the video above, I sat down in one of my favorite spots and looked down to see that from my feet up to my calves I was covered in hundreds of fire ants. Fortunately, there was a gallon of water nearby to wash some of them off. I had to pull my shoes off and let Dave dunk them in the creek.
There was some American Burnweed nearby. I grabbed some of the fuzz and some leaves and rolled them into a ball and rubbed them all over my feet and ankles and calves. That helped soothe them somewhat.
Then Dave brought me a maypop, thinking their sedative nature would be helpful. I popped it open and ate a little bit and squeezed the juice onto my feet and ankles. The maypop juice was even more soothing than the American Burnweed. Or perhaps it was the combination of the two that helped. I was able to put my wet shoes back on and walk a half mile to the house without pain, and my feet and legs have been fine since. I just love nature’s remedies!
More Interviews with God’s Creations
- Rosebush
- Goldenrod
- American Burnweed
- Late Boneset (aka Late Blooming Thoroughwart)
- Blackberry
- Carolina Wren
