Poppy

 

Eschscholzia californica is a bright eyecatching flower in the Papaveraceae family, which grows abundantly over throughout California and most western states. California poppies contain flavone glycosides and the alkaloids protopine, cryptopine, and chelidonine. Although they have similar sedative effects as opium poppies, they do not have the morphine and codeine type of alkaloids and therefore act in a milder and gentler way. Other properties include: antidepressant, anodyne (painkilling), anxiolytic (tranquilizer or anti-anxiety), antispasmodic, analgesic. Matthew Wood says that it is a sedative in part because it increases fluids and lubrication similar to skullcap, bugleweed, and motherwort. Poppies are contraindicated with pregnancy and MAO inhibitors. In her herbal course, Rosemary Gladstar writes that the california poppies are “excellent in establishing equilibrium and calming nerve stress and excitability.”

The entire plant can be used medicinally, but usually we use the aerial parts. Juliette de Baircli Levy recommends mixing ground poppy seed with honey, drying them in the sun, and feeding them to children who have difficulty sleeping or are overly excited. Flowers leaves and stems can be used for infusion, tinctures, cosmetics, and most other preparations. California poppies can be administered for anxiety, nervousness, insomnia, and tension. Candy the flowers or freeze them in ice cubes.

Echinacea

Echinacea is the genus of nine coneflower species in the daisy Asteraceae family. It grows in the open dry plains and woodlands of the American continent. They mostly grow from taproots, up to four feet high, with a single long stem topped in a big flower. Two of the nine species are endangered, and it’s advised to avoid any echinacea products labeled ‘wildcrafted’. The whimsy of popular culture has captured this plant for its potent medicine and seriously dwindled it’s wildish nature. Perhaps whenever we can reintroduce this plant to the wild that could be a good thing.  

It takes two years to flower, and needs little care once established. Seeds need cold damp stratification and light to break dormancy. All of the plant can be used medicinally, but the root is the most potent part. The root is best harvested after three-four years of established growth and in the fall or after dormant for the winter. The leaves stems and flowers are best harvested in midsummer, and not too much should be harvested (perhaps not more than a third at most) so that the plant has enough mass to continue supporting its life. The mature roots can be up to 3 pounds!

Echinacea has an interesting complex structure of constituents that work synergistically to boost the immune system. I remember reading a description of its constituents being ‘multidirectional’ in their approach to healing. This is relevant mostly just because the acid constituents are derived through alcohol and conversely the polysaccharide constituents are water-soluble and are actually destroyed by alcohol. Essentially, the herb can be expected to have a potent effect regardless of method of preparation.

This common cold fighter is an immunostimulant with antimicrobial properties used for bacterial or viral infections. Different species have different chemical constituents that include volatile oils, glycoside, echinaceine, cichoric acid, caftaric acid, alkylamides, and phenolics. It stimulates antibodies in the blood, and stimulates lymph to eliminate body’s waste. It is an alterative, anti-catarrhal (treats congestion and inflammation of the mucous membrane) and tonic.

The tincture or a decoction can be used as a mouthwash to treat gingivitis or pyorrhea (inflammation of the gums, with pus and bleeding). Combined with Yarrow or Bearberry, this plant can treat cystitis. It’s immune stimulating benefits during the cold season are best put to use at the first onset of an infection, but once and bacteria or virus has gained any foothold in the body, echinacea is not really useful anymore and the treatment should switch to another herb like goldenseal – which is probably why echinacea preparations often are paired with goldenseal.

Borage

 

Native to Europe, this member of the genus Borago and member of the family Boraginaceae bears the species name of Borago officinalis. He is a self-seeding annual who tends to spread and sprawl throughout the garden in an unruly and beautiful manner. He can grow typically from one to three feet tall, is covered in fuzz, and makes these delightful usually blue-purple five-pointed flowers – which give him the nickname Starflower. Borage is one of the few blue foods out there, so if one is eating a color-based diet it would be optimal to have access to one of these plants to get a daily dose of blue (although some are more purple than blue).

Borage’s constituents include mucilage, tannins, and pyrrolizidine alkaloids – the latter of which can be toxic to the liver (hepatoxicity). I think comfrey has that pyrrolizidine too. Borage is an astringent, anti-inflammatory, mild nerve calmer, and adrenal stimulant. He is a galactagogue indicating that he stimulates milk production. The mucilaginous content of Borage means that he is a demulcent which coats the nerve endings to protect them. As an expectorant, he stimulates mucous to be secreted in the bronchi, which helps to flush the body through phlegm and snot of toxins sickness bacteria. Large amounts of essential fatty acids, mainly gamma-linolenic acid or GLA (which is an omega 6) exist in this plant. We need GLA to make the lipid group called prostaglandins which is used in the body for many things including contracting and releasing smooth muscle tissue.

Rosemary Gladstar says that you can take borage tea for breast tenderness around moon time. Michael Tierra says to take the tincture for lung congestion, heart problems, and fever. Taken as a capsule supplement, borage seed oil will treat both eczema and dermatitis and reduce inflammation of rheumatism. The leaves are a diuretic, and the flowers encourage sweating. Flowers are also made into an infusion to regulate hormones and metabolism. Use a cough syrup for colds, bronchitis, asthma, etc. Matthew Wood says that borage could be a part of treatment for the following exhaustion, low spirits, insomnia, dizziness, melancholy, menopause, hot flashes, heavy-heartedness, softening the cervix for pregnant women, pleurisy, bronchitis, colds, fever with mucous, scarlet fever, chicken pox, heart palpitations, varicose veins, sore and inflamed eyes.

Borage is used in companion planting to protect legumes, brassicas, and tomatoes and it’s best when used fresh so we ought to all be growing some. Grows well in poor soils, and propagate from seed, division, or cuttings. Bees love Borage! 

Use the leaves, flowers, and the oils from the stems. Prepare as a syrup, capsule, tincture, tea infusion, dried powder, fermentation, jam or jelly. Add to skin crèmes and salves, eyewashes, soaps, beeswax candles, Add young leaves and flowers to salads, omelettes, sandwiches, etc. Freeze the flowers in ice cubes to make glasses of water become pretty, flavorful, and medicinal. Candy the flowers by: mixing hot water and flax seeds (a reasonable ratio is 2T flax seed to ½ - ¾ cup water), straining the water once it’s gelatinous, painting the flowers or dipping them in, grinding sugar in a coffee grinder or food processor, and dipping or dropping the flowers in the superfine sugar.