California Poppy

California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica

Just about everyone who lives in California is familiar with our Stat’s flower, the California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica).  This brilliant sunny bloom emerges each spring with golden orange flowers and splays of light bluish green feathery leaves.  During years of heavier rainfall, these flowers can wrap hillsides in blankets of vibrant oranges and golds.

Not as commonly known, are the medicinal qualities this beautiful flower offers. With a long and storied history of various uses among Indigenous peoples; modern herbalists tend to utilize it for its mildly sedative, anti-anxiety, and pain relieving properties.  While it is in the same family as the Opium Poppy and other opioid containing poppies; California Poppy does not contain morphine or codeine which are the addictive alkaloids found in other poppies. It is even generally considered safe for children in appropriate doses.

Harvested leaves and flowers that are gently dried and stored properly can last 18 months; giving access to its healing properties year round.

Growing your own California Poppies is extremely easy, and oftentimes once it establishes itself, you’ll be well supplied for years to come!  As with many California annual wildflowers, spreading seeds over the ground prior to the first winter rains will set the seeds perfectly for the coming spring.  They can also be grown in containers, the cracks of sidewalks, and just about anywhere a wayward seed finds purchase. 

Their silken golden petals are a beautiful addition to any garden and they are a treasure for local native pollinators like the dainty and darling California Poppy Fairy Bee.

If you’re curious to learn more about growing, harvesting, and using California Poppy; please join me this month for my California Poppy themed Tea Time Lesson. 

Tea Time Lessons are short 30 minute bite sized explorations of various topics of herbal interest held over Zoom and completed in just enough time to sit and enjoy a leisurely cup of tea.  These gatherings are intended to be introductions to various topics within the botanical and herbal realm, to whet your appetite and provide you with resources to deepen your learning. 

California Poppy Tea Time Lesson

Wednesday March 18^th6:00-6:30pm

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DISCLAIMER The content on this site is for educational purposes only. We cannot diagnose health conditions, nor prescribe medicines. The information provided is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment. Please consult your medical care provider before using herbal medicine, particularly if you have a known medical condition or if you are pregnant or nursing.

As with conventional medicine, herbal medicine is vast and complex, and must be used responsibly. People react differently to different remedies. Some herbs are contraindicated with certain pharmaceutical drugs.