c a l i f o r n i a p o p p y
if California poppy was a song, it would be “Come on Home” by The Lijadu Sisters.
i hear the poppy chorus bopping in the wind singing the words now.. “pleeeease, pleeeease come on homeee babbbbieeee” in a jovial inclusion, grinning, waving you in, welcoming you home.
sirening to remember! the home in your very own skin! your the soul chariot! you can be a playful being honey.. we need your play, your heart posture, your delight. right .. now… remember how it feels to be safe and protected in a home.. but the home of your own divine soup of the periodic table~ carbon star dust, oxygen sky breath, rocky volcanic iron, where do you think it all comes from? 😉 california poppy giggles with you and asks for your hand to dance off into the sunset.
I imagine myself curling up on the four petaled silky sunbeam as a soft place to rest. Hot orange flowers- celestial sun eaters, sky soakers, universe mirrors… The poppy exposes themselves; thrives in open spaces, wide open sky. Known for erosion control, they soften dehydrated land, splaying open in cracks of concrete, nooks of gravel, and inbetween roads and pasture. they seem to be everywhere.. trying to rope us into delight… and they sure do don’t they? if you stop to look..
in the blurry waves of heat there they grow.
in surprisingly harsh conditions … there they flower.
In physical medicine, california poppy gives the gift of melting anxiety, insomnia, and pain. They sit with you, in love; as you take off your masks. They are gleeful to be with You! heyyy there’s your warm compass lit up within! damn it was buried; but it never went out and it never will.
Is it a coincidence that they blanket our state, california? as we navigate retrieving our soul among a history of the california mission inquisition, goldrush nightmare, greenrush (cannabis monopolies) nightmare, hollywood hell, silicon nightmare, industrial agriculture nightmare…etc.
california golden poppy doesn’t stop for nothing! continuing to heal anyway.. hugging the land as they have always done long before humans were even in their form.
and they will bloom right out of that stupid hollywood sign, after civilization cannibalizes its fakeness to death. there, the orange lights will still be .. singing and bopping in the wind to all our souls… ooOOooo pleeeease pleeease come on homee babbbieee~
back in the land.
***
ca poppy has many names.
indigenous nomenclature~ qupe of the chumash, mekachaa of the Tongva, munkai of the Miwok, and herk’werh ’we-chpega’r of Yurok1
also known as~ california golden poppy/ copa de oro (spanish, gold cup)2 mexican gold poppy/ gold poppy3
latin~ Eschscholzia californica
desert poppy~ Eschscholzia californica ssp. mexicana
coastal poppy~ Eschscholzia californica v. maritima
*these subspecies are as medicinal to ca poppy, carrying minute difference in chemical makeup. They vary in locale, growth patterns, and slightly in their appearance.
botanical description~ California poppy’s delicate foliage reminds me of dozens of frog legs. Their ternately styled lobed leaves leap from their stem in a basal and cauline fashion. (basal:extending out from the base) and (cauline: reaching out along the stem). ca poppy’s body gradiates with shades of glaucous, cerulean, and warm vivid greens with sparkles of salmon pink.. Their aquatic mimicry lends itself to Poppy’s medicinal constitution: watery and cooling. This is a healing companion for imbalanced pitta, or all folks experiencing distress from heat waves, physically and emotionally.
the hot orange silky flower petals fold out in fours always, but sometimes their flower color varies. They can come to us dressed in complete light yellow, centered with a deep orange glow that fades to yellow rays, or complete hot orange. The ca poppy stands apart from other lookalikes with their “torus rim” or pink peplum collar. Poppy’s flowers are phototropically sensitive to light significance ~ closing in with the signal of moon rise or stratus cloud cover. 4
community~ ca poppy thrives in sunny grasslands, but they are also found in a variety of landscapes. They range from oak savanna, chaparral, coastal scrub, coastal prairie, foothill woodland, yellow pine forest, red fir forest, lodgepole pine forest, and desert landscapes.5 plus in many cultivated garden beds. 🙂
You can find Poppy amongst an assortment of company. Plant friends who co-occur alongside them~ lupines, clovers, fringe pods, lomatium, yarrow, phacelia, california fuchsia, white sage, california buckwheat various genuses such as collinsia, abronia, and moreee!6
for the desert adapted annual (ssp. mexicana) a few plant friends I heard through the interwebs include annual lupines, mariposa lily, larkspur and clarkia.7
the california poppy is resilient~ withstanding freezes, making it through scorpion flamey sun boiling heat, holding on when water is a far away memory, and rooting down in various soups of soil flavors…8
range~ throughout ca from sea level -8200 feet elevation 9
parts used~ whole plant
family~ Papaveraceae
The poppy family includes 200 species spread across 25 to 30 genera.10
herbal preparations~
Most herbalists agree that the dried plant is too bitter for a tea, but mixed with some harmonizing tasty herbs and a bit of honey the tea is worth trying. Further, the flowers are palatable. The settler ethnographer Philip Stedman Spark noted the Lusieño people who lived in the coastal southern ca region ate them as gum/candy.11
The most potent way to receive ca poppy medicine is through means of the whole plant, in a fresh tincture. The root has the most concentrated amount of medicine.
tincture~ this is an herbal extraction in alcohol.
1 part fresh root or whole plant 2 parts menstrum (75% ALC 25% distilled water) take 20-60 drops up to 4 times per day 12
glycerin tincture~ this is an herbal extraction for alcohol free folk.
1 part fresh root or whole plant 2 parts menstrum 100% glycerin 40-120 drops for adults 4 times per day, 10-30 drops for children13
shelf life is typically 1-2 years for glycerites ~ & alcohol tinctures last for many years. store in a cool dark place.
Other ideas for communing with california poppy~
~I can imagine them being a cozy companion in a bath, or foot bath.
~as a poultice or sachet alone or along with other anti inflammatory and topically analgesic herbs to rest on places of the body that are sore or hurt.
~In a pouch to hold close maybe as a necklace or in a pocket for their energetic reminder to soothe and move tenderly.
~Sitting, laying, and/or intuitively moving in meditation beside the living plant. Offering a song in exchange for their healing company/wisdom.
a few notes on the phytochemical mechanisms of ca poppy’s herbal actions~
(S)-reticuline, an alkaloid in the herbal extract made with aerial parts- was shown to assist in supporting modulation receptors in the brain (such as the GABA neurotransmitter) which explain ca poppy’s sedative/anxiolytic actions. 14
The biological activities of sanguinarine, the main alkaloid in california poppy root and cell cultures, has been researched extensively, and more currently reviewed by a cohort at the Plant Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, Yucatán Scientific Research Center. In short, the sanguinarine alkaloid was determined to have antimicrobial effects.15
Along with sanguinarine, another alkaloid chelerythrine was showed to have antimicrobial effects. “These effects may be related to the alkaloids cytotoxic activity, such as intercalation in nucleic acids, and inhibition of DNA and RNA synthesis. Moreover, sanguinarine can bind to negatively charged membrane surfaces and proteins as heteroaromatic iminium cation (Han et al., 2016) and it inhibits choline acetyltransferase activity in arthropods and vertebrates.”16
medicinal uses/dosages~
key herbal actions~ Anxiolytic (anxiety relief), sedative (relaxant), antispasmodic (muscle relaxant), hypnotic (promoting deep rest) analgesic (pain relief), anti microbial
At lower doses, this medicine is helpful in relieving anxiety
At higher doses, ca poppy serves as a sedative/ hypnotic medicine
i love this quote from scott kloos on ca poppy medicine: “Take the tincture before bed if you wake in the morning feeling unrested, as it will smooth out nervous system static and deepen your sleep. Keep a bottle of tincture by the bed in case you wake in the middle of the night or too early in the morning with your mind spinning.” (Kloos)17
ca poppy is considered a nervine relaxant, helping to relax the muscles and nervous system. A body at rest, often has the contagious effect of reducing tension in the mind. This medicine has antispasmodic actions which sometime’s prevent, and at least provide, ease to spasms and/or cramps in the muscles. It is a natural alternative to orthodox nerve tranquilizers. ca poppy has particular alkaloids such as (S)-reticuline that work directly upon the central nervous system which can assist in deep relaxation/promote deep sleep. 18
ca poppy is also useful for their pain relief action in cases of stomach/menstrual cramps, bruised muscles, toothaches, and headaches.19 I like how herbalist Michael Moore puts it, “It ain’t opium, and it will only have a certain degree of analgesic effect, but it will always help, especially when the pain is keeping you awake.”20
I believe that just by knowing you have plant kin who are there for you is part of the comfort and healing effect. I believe plants care for us and we can care for them.. in ways we might not even realize, .
ca poppy is safe for all folk, from fresh all the way to elder *though I have read warnings against ca poppy use for pregnant folk.
kiva rosethorn vets that agitated babies settle to a calm state with the gift of a little poppy tea. (cooled of course :-)) more on her recommendation in this footnote. 21
ca poppy could be something to try alone or add to an antimicrobial remedy blend in the form of tincture/spray/soak. I haven’t used this yet as an anti microbial agent, but it has a lot of research behind it so i’d try it out probably in conjunction with other medicines for things like:
~mending mild funky skin rashes
~gargled orally to support a funky mouth,
~or maybe as a genital steam.
flower essence
Each flower has a soul; and when we tune to the energetic soul signature of a plant being, their soul can guide ours emotionally and spiritually.
a profoundly helpful way to shift imbalanced emotions and/or a lost spirit is through connecting with a flower essence.
here are a few notes from FES on ca poppy:
“Ca poppy is indicated for the imbalances of: escapism, ungrounded spirituality, infatuation with glamour, addiction, intolerable pain, anxiety, [and] difficulty sleeping.”22
“they help guide our soul in experiences such as: the ability to be with oneself despite pain, discomfort or anxiety; knowing the source of light and warmth within oneself; containment of bodily and soul forces creating greater calm and resiliency; radiant heart-centered spirituality”23
its easy to make a flower essence. court your flower,,, bend them into a little crystal bowl of pure water and let the sky calibrate some of the flowers soul into the water molecules. i like letting the energy settle in for a whole cycle of light and dark. preserve the water with the same amount of alcohol. this is your “mother” essence. From there, you can share some of your mother essence into other bottles and add water. you really only need a few drops, i like to add about half mother essence and half water. you can also lovingly request the flower gift its life for your flower essence. but the sweetest way, is making a living flower essence… 🙂
ethnobotany~ the native american ethnobotany database has a resource list noting various indigenous cultural relationships with ca poppy.
In the book living wild, Alicia funk records that the pomo indigenous people placed the entire poppy plant below the bed of restless children when they were restless at night.
I’m inspired by the Cahuilla who used the pollen as paint for the face and body. 24
curious if anyone else has more information on traditional relating with poppy?
mycelial links for more ca poppyness~
the feet of this page is the ground of my words! the footnotes are a web. They include either website links or book titles containing ca poppy information created by other ca poppy ethnographers, scholars, ecologists, herbalists, fans etc. I love that we are all together here now.
I found kiva rosethorn deep dive on ca poppy unique for bringing in an energetic/ constitution angle and FES’s unique for their channeled prowess of ca poppy’s spiritual/emotional healing gifts. also this ca poppy soundscape is hypnotically luscious. panning back and forth are singing bowls that center me in a trance mode I like a lotttt.
~*~*~*~*~*~
if you read this linearly, or just found yourself here, i’ve included the photo below as my seal. sweet california poppies signaling their closing sign~~~I hope you can connect now to your inner world, and digest my creative plant respects of california poppy.
may you be deeply curious about,
versed in,
and nourished by earth’s gifts everywhere.
and remember the language of connection and belonging that is your inherent birthright as ∞a limb of:extension of∞ the earth!
sending a heartbeam your way,
Hannah Heron
Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants by Lanny Kaufer
https://enchantersgreen.com/gold-poppy kiva rosethorn
usda plants database california poppy plant guide
https://www.openspace.org/where-to-go/nature/california-poppy, https://www.westernnativeseed.com/plant%20guides/esccalpg.pdf
https://calscape.org/Eschscholzia-californica-(California-Poppy)
(Hickman, 1993; Munz and Keck, 1968; Ratcliff et al., 1972; McCully et al., 2004). https://www.westernnativeseed.com/plant%20guides/esccalpg.pdf
https://calscape.org/Eschscholzia-californica-(California-Poppy)
(Hickman, 1993; Munz and Keck, 1968; Ratcliff et al., 1972; McCully et al., 2004). https://www.westernnativeseed.com/plant%20guides/esccalpg.pdf
(Hickman, 1993; Munz and Keck, 1968; Ratcliff et al., 1972; McCully et al., 2004). https://www.westernnativeseed.com/plant%20guides/esccalpg.pdf
Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants by Lanny Kaufer
Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants by Lanny Kaufer p190
http://naeb.brit.org/uses/14375/
Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Michael Moore p 112
Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 120 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness (Medicinal Plants Series) by Scott Kloos p 123
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10017456/#B59
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10017456/#B59
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10017456/#B59
Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 120 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness (Medicinal Plants Series) by Scott Kloos p 123
p 71 the herbal handbook david hoffman
Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Michael Moore p 110 & Medicinal Herbs of California: A Field Guide to Common Healing Plants by Lanny Kaufer
Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West by Michael Moore
https://enchantersgreen.com/gold-poppy kiva rosethorn
https://www.flowersociety.org/california-poppy.html
https://www.flowersociety.org/california-poppy.html
Bean, Lowell John and Katherine Siva Saubel, 1972, Temalpakh (From the Earth); Cahuilla Indian Knowledge and Usage of Plants, Banning, CA. Malki Museum Press, page 73
