California Poppy Eschscholzia californica
- Common Names
- California Poppy , Gold Poppy
- Botanical Name
- Eschscholzia californica
- Family
- PAPAVERACEAE
Medicinal Uses & Benefits of California Poppy
How to Use|
Side Effects |
Plant & Garden|
- Medicinal Uses: * Anxiety
* Sleep/Insomnia
- Properties: * Antispasmodic * Anxiety * Muscle Relaxant * Sedative
- Parts Used: Aerial parts, dried
- Constituents: alkaloids, principally cryptopine
How to Use: California Poppy
Low doses of California Poppy
reduce anxiety
California poppy is one of the oldest North American remedies for stress-induced maladies including sensitivity to changes in the weather. The above ground parts and roots of this wildflower show promise in the treatment of insomnia without the side effects and dependency risks of sleep aids. Higher doses of California poppy are sedating, lower doses reduce anxiety and lower stress. The effect is far milder than that of opium, which contains a different class of alkaloids.
Preparation Methods & Dosage :California poppy is most frequently used as a tincture, but can also be taken as a tea or encapsulated. It is combined with hawthorn and magnesium salts in formulas for relieving anxiety. Also commonly combined with birthwort, night-blooming cereus, kava, lavender, passionflower, St. John's wort, and/or valerian. 1
California Poppy Remedies
Traditional Chinese Medicine
California poppy blended with corydalis in a Chinese patent formula available as Corydalis Formula
California Poppy Side Effects: Safety not established during pregnancy, since it may cause uterine contractions, nursing or for children under the age of 6.
Plant Description
California Poppies at Antelope Valley
- Flowers: Bright orange, pink, red, or yellow, 2 to 4 inch wide, flowers open to the sun, close at night. Flowers are followed by, a long narrow seedpod, turning from green to brown with hundreds of small sand-like seeds. Store seeds in a cool dry area.
- Plant type: Tender perennial, or annual plant.
- Leaves: Blue green
- Medicinal Part: The aboveground parts of the poppy are used in herbal medicine
- Preferred Habitat:drought-tolerant, self-seeding, colonizes along roadsides and other disturbed areas, widely grown as a garden plant
- Distribution: United States and Europe, state flower of California
Regional Traditions :North America *
How to Grow California Poppy
Seed directly does not transplant well. Drought tolerant, flowers until first frost. Self seeding hardy annual or tender perennial, depending on your zone. Brightly colored, satiny flowers brighten any garden. Full sun.
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