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Botanical illustration of Poppy
MedicinalSourced entry

Poppy

Papaver rhoeas

The red corn poppy, a common field weed, used in folk medicine for coughs, sleep problems, diarrhea and pain, and eaten in salads. Eating it has poisoned adults, causing seizures and loss of consciousness. It's a different plant from the opium poppy.

Safety at a glance

  • PregnancyNothing recorded
  • BreastfeedingNothing recorded
  • MedicinesNothing recorded
  • Who should avoid itNothing recorded
  • AllergiesNothing recorded
  • Toxicity1 note →

Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.

What is Poppy?

Plant family
Papaveraceae, the poppy family
Parts used
The flowers, leaves and other above-ground parts, eaten raw or cooked or made into teas and syrups
Where it grows
Common in southern Europe, Turkey and Iran, often as a weed in cereal fields
Genus
Papaver
Species
rhoeas

Also called

Corn Poppy, Common Poppy, Red Poppy

Traditionally used for

  • Cough (traditional)
  • Sleep (traditional)
  • Diarrhea (traditional)
  • Pain (traditional)

Traditionally described as

  • May make you feel sleepy or relaxed (in animal studies)

Health topics

Where Poppy appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.

  • Cough

    Used in folk medicine for coughs. Not tested in trials, and eating the plant has caused poisoning.

  • Sleep Problems (Insomnia)

    Used in folk medicine for sleep problems. Not tested in trials, and eating the plant has caused poisoning.

How it's prepared

Common ways Poppy is prepared or sold. This isn't advice on how to take it; see Safety below.

  • Culinary Preparation

    The buds were sometimes eaten, and the petals were used as a food dye.[1]Study

  • Syrup

    Many European pharmacies listed "syrupus rhoeados", a sweet infusion of the petals, used mainly as a red coloring in medicines.[1]Study

Safety

Toxicity testing

  • Eating corn poppy can cause poisoning that resembles a morphine overdose. A hospital in Turkey reported five adults who had eaten it for its taste, not as medicine. Within 1 to 3 hours they had:

    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Restlessness, confusion and loss of consciousness
    • Seizures
    • Numbness and weakness in the arms and legs
    • Breathing difficulty and a slow heartbeat

    All recovered after a few days in hospital.[2]Study

What does the research say?

Traditional use

These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.

  • Corn poppy is used as a medicinal plant in Turkey, Iran and other countries:

    • For diarrhea, coughs and sleep problems
    • To ease pain and calm
    • To reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms
    • For bowel and bladder irritation, bronchitis, pneumonia and fevers with a rash
    [2]Study

  • In some regions corn poppy is added to salads. Its main natural chemicals are alkaloids called rhoeadine and rhoeagenine.[3]Study

Laboratory & animal research

Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.

  • In rats, corn poppy extract had a calming effect, reduced movement, and eased withdrawal symptoms in rats dependent on morphine.[2]Study

Research in people

  • In one trial, men took a syrup of corn poppy combined with other herbs, and reported better sexual experience, with no serious side effects. Because the syrup contained several herbs, the effect can't be put down to corn poppy alone.[3]Study

In short

Eating corn poppy has caused poisoning with seizures, confusion and breathing problems.

Sources

  1. [1] Iconic Arable Weeds: The Significance of Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), and Field Larkspur (Delphinium consolida) in Hungarian Ethnobotanical and Cultural Heritage · DOI: 10.3390/plants12010084Peer-reviewed study
  2. [2] Intoxication due to Papaver rhoeas (Corn Poppy): Five Case Reports · DOI: 10.1155/2015/321360Peer-reviewed study
  3. [3] Papaver Plants: Current Insights on Phytochemical and Nutritional Composition Along with Biotechnological Applications · DOI: 10.1155/2022/2041769Peer-reviewed study

This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.