This is the state flower of California for a reason - California poppy is absolutely radiant! This flower isn't just beautiful, it also makes gentle, yet effective medicine. It's been long revered for its ability to calm tension, induce sleep, and calm aches and pains for both children and adults. (Eschscholzia californica)
Why We Love It
Here are some of the reasons why we love California poppies...
1) CALMING - One of California poppy's super powers is that it's calming. It is suitable for calming both children and adults, helping to reduce anxiety and tension in the day and induce sleep at night without side effects of drowsiness. Here's the research.
2) SAFE PAIN RELIEVER - California poppy is a safe pain reliever that can be used for both adults and children. It's been used by herbalists since the 1800's and can help reduce pain without the risk of becoming addictive. Here's the research.
3) GORGEOUS - There are very few things more joyful than seeing a burst of happy, orange poppies in the summer. The bees will dance among them and they are guaranteed to make your heart smile.
How to Grow It
Here's how to grow California Poppies:
| SUN | FULL SUN |
| MOISTURE | VERY DROUGHT TOLERANT ONCE ESTABLISHED |
| GROWING ZONES | USDA 5-9 (Not sure? Find your growing zone here) |
| SIZE | 8-24" tall |
| PRO TIP |
These plants prefer to be neglected. They tend to do best when scattered on gently disturbed soil, tamped, and forgotten about. Because this is the state flower of California, it's illegal to pick these flowers on public land. However, you can grow and harvest as much as you'd like in your own garden. |
How to Harvest & Use It
For making medicine, California poppies are best harvested when they are in flower. To make a tincture, you use the flowers, leaves, and roots. Here's a great video from Shana Lipner Grover on how to harvest these beautiful poppies and make potent medicine from them.
These flowers are different than opium poppies, and do not contain any hallucinogenic properties and will not affect drug tests.