California Poppy

Eschscholzia californica

Other Names: Amapola de California, Eschscholzia californica, Pavot de Californie, Poppy California, Yellow Poppy, Golden poppy, California sunlight, cup of gold, Goudpapaver, Kalifornischer Mohn, Goldmohn, Kalifornischer Kappenmohn, Schlafmützchen, Pavot de Californie, Pavot d'Amérique, 花菱草
California poppy is a plant. It is the state flower of California. People use the parts that grow above the ground for medicine.

Special Precautions of California Poppy

• California poppy is best avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding and is contra-indicated in glaucoma.
• Surgery: California poppy can slow down the central nervous system, causing sleepiness and other effects. There is some concern that California poppy might slow down the central nervous system too much when combined with anesthesia and other medications used during and after surgery. Stop using California poppy at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
• It should not be taken with MAOIs, tranquilizers, CNS depressants (e.g. alcohol, opiates, benzodiazepines, anaesthetics, tricyclic anti-depressants, anti-epileptics), and Pentobarbital. It has a bitter taste so is preferable to take it as a tincture. The recommended dosage is 1-2.5 mls of the tincture (1:2 25%), 1-10g of the dried herb and 5-30g per cup when taken in infusions 3 times daily.
• Sedative medications (Benzodiazepines and CNS depressants) interacts with California poppy

The benefits of California Poppy are

• Anxiety. Developing research suggests California poppy, in combination with magnesium and hawthorn, might be useful in treating mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders. This combination product, called Sympathyl, is not available in the US.
• Its antispasmodic action relaxes muscles throughout the body, making it a useful remedy for soothing tense, aching muscles and treating stress-related gut problems, IBS, colic and gallbladder pain. I
• Trouble sleeping (insomnia).
• Depression
• Neurasthenia
• Aches.
• Bed-wetting.
• Diseases of the bladder.
• Diseases of the liver.
• Promoting Relaxation
• The cognitive enhancing properties of California poppy can be useful in the treatment of behavioural disorders such as ADD, ADHD in children and young adults.
• It has also been used to improve intellectual capacity, memory and concentration in the elderly.
• From an Ayurvedic perspective, California poppy cools heat in the mind by reducing excess sadhaka pitta, and so makes an excellent remedy for irritability, low self-esteem, depression, headaches, insomnia, being overly critical, over-achieving and analytical, and for OCD. As it reduces pitta in the rasa and rakta dhatus, it can be used to relieve palpitations, hypertension and pain from inflammation as in arthritis, shingles, cholecystitis and toothache. With its anulomana action it helps reduce spasm and pain in lower abdomen and so can be used to ease colic and menstrual pain.

Main Combinations

• Insomnia : California Poppy + Valerian
• Insomnia at the beginning of the night : California Poppy + Hawthorn
• Nightmares : California Poppy + Corn Poppy + Eleutherococcus
• Enuresis : Eleutherococcus + California Poppy