At first glance, celandine does not necessarily reveal its relationship to the opium poppy. The easiest time to find this herbaceous perennial is during the flowering period, when the delicate yellow flowers join the pinnate leaves and stems filled with yellow milky sap.
Celandine is mainly found in warm, humid locations
Typical locations of celandine
Celandine loves locations that meet the following criteria:
- relatively warm
- nitrogen-rich soil
- sufficiently moist
The fact that celandine needs a certain amount of moisture on the one hand, but also grows on stony scree and fallow land, is not necessarily a contradiction in terms: after all, this plant has a strong taproot, with which water reserves in the soil can be reached under superficial layers of stone and gravel. So the celandine can not only keep watch on the banks of streams and ponds, but also along southern natural stone walls, on the edges of forests and in sparse deciduous forests. Since celandine reproduces well with little care, you should sow it in the garden in a location with potential for propagation. When collecting celandine in nature, you should be aware that it is poisonous when eaten.
The spread along human settlement routes
The celandine is not only considered a nitrogen indicator, but also a so-called culture follower. After all, it used to spread to various regions of Europe and even to North America along human settlement routes. This is primarily due to its earlier use as wart herb and also to internal use that is no longer so common today due to its danger. Larger stocks of celandine can often still be found along roadsides and around settlements.
Ants as propagation aids
Celandine seeds are sometimes referred to as "ant bread". The black, shiny seeds, located in the elongated, pod-shaped seed capsules, have a soft oil body that is an attractive food source for ants. After consuming this body of oil in the burrow, the inedible residue of the seeds is transported back out of the burrow by the ants and distributed in the landscape in this way. Therefore, when looking for celandine, also look out for anthills and ant roads, as these can often be axes for the spread of celandine.
tips
If you want to curb rampant stocks of celandine by digging up the roots in autumn, make sure that the toxins of celandine accumulate particularly strongly in the taproots towards autumn.