AUTHOR Pat Collins looks at the Californian Poppy in her new book The Wondrous World of Weeds.
CALIFORNIAN POPPY
Golden Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
DISTRIBUTION Native to USA and Mexico (State flower of California), now a widespread garden escapee in Mediterranean climates. Naturalized to south-eastern and southwestern Australia.
HABITAT A pretty weed of riverbanks and roadsides often on the fringe of country towns.
DESCRIPTION Annual or perennial 13–152 cm (5 in–4 ft 10 in) tall easily recognized with its bright flowers.
LEAVES Bluish-green in color and deeply dissected.
FLOWERS Solitary on long stems, silky textured with four petals, yellow-orange in color. Flowers in warmer months, closing at night.
FRUIT/SEEDS Cylindrical ribbed capsule when split releases numerous small dark seeds.
USES EDIBLE/OTHER Leaves boiled and roasted before being eaten by the North American Indians despite the bitter flavor.
MEDICINAL Closely related to true poppies, which have sedative properties. Western herbalists use this plant for its painkilling and sedentary effects, helps with sleeplessness, anxiety and nerve pain. Made into tinctures, capsules and tablets. I use this herb as an extract in my practice and find it very useful if people cannot sleep due to pain. Latex used for toothache and whole plant used to stun fish.
FARM/ENVIR. Important plant to have in your garden or paddock as it attracts a wide range of useful insects who love the vibrant and pollen-rich flowers. I love seeing them growing wild in my sister’s place in Tasmania.
FURTHER READING Sedative and anxiolytic properties.30 Another experiment with mice induced peripheral analgesic effects.
- For our review of The Wondrous World of Weeds click HERE.
- The Wondrous World of Weeds, Pat Collins, New Holland, RRP. $29.99
