Human Flower Project
Tokyo, Japan
Beijing, China
Hardin County, Texas USA
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Coming Up Poppies
Death Valley springs to life and the wildflower hotline burns in California.
A bee’s-eye view of sunflowers blooming in Death Valley, six-columns wide, opened the New York Times travel section last weekend. National Parks Service botanist Tim Croissant said, “This may well be the bloom of the century.” The rains that washed houses down the California hills have produced a banner wildflower year, even in areas, like Death Valley, that are sometimes barren in spring.
California poppies
Franklin Mountains State Park
El Paso, TX
We received an early report of Texas wildflowers from neighbor Victor Emanuel, famed ornithologist, who’s recently visited the Franklin Mountains outside El Paso. But there will be plenty of time to brag on Texas wildflowers this year (we hope) for the same reason: abundant rains.
For now, let’s keep the focus on California, especially its beloved golden poppy, the state flower. (These were the beauties Victor saw in El Paso, by the way; wildflowers don’t honor state boundaries.)
Our friend herbalist Ellen Zimmermann features the California poppy in her herb newsletter this month. “The lovely little orange California poppy, Eschscholzia californica,” Ellen writes, “can be used as a sedative. This poppy does contain flavone glycocides but is not considered narcotic.” She says that the California poppy, made into a tincture, is used “to relieve pain, as a sedative for insomnia, to help with anxiety, to allay diarrhea and to inhibit the cough reflex. Many herbalists agree that California poppy, known as ‘nightcap’ in the United States, can be used safely and gently as a sedative for sleeplessness, stress and tension.” In a word, Ahhh!
If you’d rather gaze upon California poppies—a tension alleviator too—now’s the time to visit the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve or the Franklin Mountains State Park in El Paso. For Californians, there’s even a telephone message for the latest word on where flowers are lush: 661-724-1180. And here’s a terrific website with wildflower updates across the southwest USA, California to Texas.
Beware. The photographs here will have you packing.