Native to the United States and the state flower of California, the California Poppy is now widely introduced throughout the world. This showy perennial cup-shaped flower comes in brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow and is also referred to as Golden Poppy, California Sunlight or Cup of Gold.

The California Poppy is a member of the Papaveraceae family, cousin to the infamous opium poppy, but far less potent.

The botanical name Eschscholzia, commemorates Johann Friedrich Eschscholt, where it was first discovered by his friend Adelbert von Chamisso, a naturalist on a scientific expedition to California in 1810. On seeing hillsides apparently on fire with the covering of poppies, Adelbert named the genus in honour of his close friend Johann Friedrich Eschscholtz, a botanist as well as the expedition's physician.

Traditionally used in Western Herbal Medicine as:

• An analgesic to relieve pain
• Helps mind relaxation
• Relieve excess nervous energy
• Reduce symptoms of stress
• Calm nerves
• Induces sleep
• Relieve sleeplessness and restless sleep
• To maintain general health and wellbeing

California Poppy was first introduced to Europe as an ornamental. It began to be used as a medicine in the last century.

Native to northern Africa and the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean, Lavender is now cultivated around the world for is essential oil and medicinal use.

With its silvery-green foliage and spikes of purple, pink, or white flowers, this perennial shrub and belongs to the mint family,Lamiaceae.Lavandulais a genus of 47 known species with the English and French Lavender being the most familiar.

The word “lavender” comes from the Latinlavaremeaning ‘to wash’, where the Romans used the fragrant oil in their baths.

Used in traditional Western Herbal Medicine to:

• Calm the mind
• Relive nervous tension and unrest
• Helps assist mind relaxation and relieve mental overactivity
• Relieve sleeplessness and decrease restless sleep
• Support health sleeping patterns
• Support general health and wellbeing

Lavender has been used for thousands of years for fragrances, therapeutics, and cooking and as an ornamental shrub. Egyptians used lavender oil in embalming, and the Greeks benefited from its medicinal properties. Lavender flowers represent purity, devotion, serenity, grace and calmness.

This vine isnativeto Europe, southwestern Asia and North America, and now grown throughout the world.

Hops are the flowers of the vine and belong to the species of the flowering plant in the hempCannabaceaefamily. As a dioecious (meaning there are both male and female plants), only the female produces the fragrant flower cones, known as hops, which impart a bitter flavour and have aromatic and preservative qualities. Hops is used as a key ingredient in making beer in the brewing industry.

Traditionally used in Western Herbal Medicine as a calmative and to:

• Relieve sleeplessness and support refreshing sleep
• Induce sleep
• Help mind relaxation
• Support the nervous system
• Relieve nervous tension

Hop sprouts were used as a salad in the first century AD. Hop sprouts were also eaten by the poor in medieval times as a substitute for asparagus. Next to this, hop stems were used in some cases to make cloth and paper and in several other traditional applications. The first recorded use of hops for beer come from a monastery in northern France in 822 CE.

Native to South America and now grown throughout the world, this exotic vine flower is also referred to as Maypop, Apricot Vine and Maracuja.

Its botanical name Passiflora incarnata was coined by Spanish missionaries who saw the flower’s resemblance as the crown of thorns, a symbol of the crucifixion. Incarnata is derived from the Latin word carn, meaning ‘flesh’ and atus, meaning ‘like’.

Traditionally used in Western Herbal Medicine as a calmative and to:

• Soothe nerves and relieve nervous tension
• Reduce symptoms of stress
• Relieve excess nervous energy
• Relieve restless sleep
• Support refreshing sleep

Spanish explorers in South America learned of the Passionflower’s medicinal benefits and brought it back to Europe. It quickly became widely cultivated and introduced to European folk medicine.