Passion Flower is a floral note named after Passiflora, a large genus of climbing plants native mainly to the tropical Americas, whose intricate flowers gave rise to passion fruit. In perfume it is a fantasy accord: usually a bright, exotic floral with a tangy, juicy fruit edge and a soft, green sweetness.

What does Passion Flower smell like?

Passion flower notes tend to sit between flower and fruit. Expect a light, sweet floral heart with a sherbet-like, slightly sour tropical twist borrowed from passion fruit, a green, dewy freshness and sometimes a sulphurous hint that makes the fruit smell ripe and realistic. Real Passiflora flowers vary enormously between species, from nearly scentless to sweetly perfumed, so the perfume note is an interpretation rather than a copy. It is lighter and less indolic than white florals such as jasmine and tuberose.

How perfumers create Passion Flower

Perfumers combine light floral materials such as linalool, Hedione and rosy alcohols with fruity esters and tropical sulphur notes that echo the passion fruit, adding green notes for freshness. Some versions use natural passion fruit extracts or flavour-derived materials for extra juiciness.

• Also known as: Passiflora, maypop (for Passiflora incarnata), fleur de la passion
• Fragrance family: Floral (fruity floral)
• Type: Accord (created by the perfumer)
• Key aroma molecules: Linalool, Hedione, fruity esters, tropical thiols

Passion Flower in perfume history

The genus contains more than 550 species. Its name comes from the Latin passio: Spanish missionaries in the Americas saw the Passion of Christ in the flower's structure, reading the stigmas as nails, the anthers as wounds and the leaf tips as the Holy Lance. The fruit of Passiflora edulis became a commercial crop across the tropics. As a perfume note, passion flower is a modern creation closely associated with the rise of fruity florals.

Passion Flower in modern perfumery

Passion flower appears in fruity florals, summer editions, body mists and youthful fragrances, where it adds colour and a tropical mood. In niche perfumery it can be treated more subtly as a green, exotic floral that avoids overt fruitiness.

How Passion Flower wears and what it pairs with

The note is bright in the top and heart, and it typically fades within a few hours unless supported by musk or woods. It pairs with passion fruit, mango, pineapple, frangipani, jasmine, pink pepper, vanilla and white musk.