Red Poppy

Parts Usually Used

Seeds (non-narcotic), blossoms

Description of Plant(s) and Culture

Crepe-like flowers appear from late spring onwards and are followed by the distinctive poppy head in which the seeds are stored. The milky juice obtained from this has narcotic properties, though less so than the white poppy from which opium is obtained. Poppies do not transplant easily. Better to start with seeds, in pots in the northern climates.

Where Found

Grows wild in cornfields, hence its common name ‘corn poppy’. Mostly cultivated.

Medicinal Properties

Astringent, antispasmodic, analgesic, carminative, sedative

Biochemical Information

Alkaloid rhoeadine, no narcotics

Legends, Myths and Stories

In classical mythology this plant was sacred to Ceres.

Uses

Historically, herbalists regarded the red poppy as a sedative, attributing this quality to the presence of the alkaloid rhoeadine. Traditional practitioners incorporated the blossoms and seeds into cough syrups, while the flowers were utilized as a coloring agent for teas, wines, and inks. Herbal traditions also employed infusions of the leaves and petals for complaints such as sore throats, coughs, chest congestion, catarrh, hay fever, asthma, dyspepsia, diarrhea, insomnia, and nerve pain.

Additionally, folk medicine utilized crushed poppy heads mixed into linseed poultices with the intention of addressing pain and swelling. In culinary traditions, the seeds were used as toppings for breads, rolls, and cookies, as well as ingredients in cake fillings, fruit salads, canapés, and vegetable dishes.

Bibliography

The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. Culpeper’s Complete Herbal & English Physician: Updated With 117 Modern Herbs , by Nicholas Culpeper, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1990, (reprint of 1814) The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Complementary Medicine , by Dr. A. , 27 Pine Street (Box 876) New Canaan, CT.

06840-0876. Copyright Verlag A. Vogel, Teufen (AR) Switzerland 1952, 1991 The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine , by Dr. David Frawley & Dr. Vasant Lad, Lotus Press, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, Second edition, 1988. , 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023 The Rodale Herb Book: How to Use, Grow, and Buy Nature’s Miracle Plants (An Organic gardening and farming book) , edited by William H.

Hylton, Rodale Press, Inc. , 1974