• Photo of Chelidonium majus (Chelidonium majuss)

Plant Profile: Chelidonium majus

Taxonomy: Chelidonium majus

Names

Celandine, Greater Celandine, Rock-Poppy, St. John's Wort

  • Photo of Chelidonium majus (Chelidonium majuss)

Phonetic Spelling:kel-ih-DOH-nee-um MAY-jus

Genus:Chelidonium

Species:majus

Family:Papaveraceae

This charming yellow flower thrives in moist soil, though it prefers not to be in overly saturated conditions. It can adapt to various soil types, but it flourishes best in rich loamy soils. Blooming in May and June, it adds a vibrant splash of yellow to the early summer landscape. You can find it in flower gardens as a cultivated herbaceous perennial or, in its natural state, as a weed in disturbed areas, particularly in mountainous regions. While it typically prefers shady locations, it can also endure full sun exposure in cooler climates.

Chelidonium majus, belonging to the poppy family, features striking yellow flowers with four distinct petals that might be confused with buttercups or Ranunculus. This biennial herb is characterized by its orange-yellow sap and a fragile stem.

Chelidonium majus Feature Summary

Chelidonium majus Image Gallery

Tags

#gold
#showy flowers
#yellow
#poisonous
#weed
#shade tolerant
#yellow flowers
#weedy
#fast growing
#spreading
#curved leaves
#June
#mountains
#May
#self-seeding
#poor soils tolerant
#early summer flowers

Similar Plants

Chelidonium majus is often confused with:

Chelidonium majus Feature Summary

Attributes
Historically used as a wart remover.
Perennial
Biennial
Attractive Flowers
Fruit
Fruit a slender capsule about 2 inches long.
1-3 inches
< 1 inch
Flowers
The 1/2 to 3/4 inch flowers are yellow and 4-parted, blooming in May through June.
Gold/Yellow
4-5 petals/rays
< 1 inch
Leaves
5-10 inch Leaves are pinnately divided and have veins that are easily seen since the veins are a lighter color. The leaflets are lobed.
Green
Gray/Silver
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Alternate
Rosulate
Ovate
Pinnatifid
Obovate
Lobed
Crenate
Dentate
> 6 inches
3-6 inches
Stem
Brittle with yellow-orange sap. The surface is waxy with sparse hairs.
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Poisonous to Humans
HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN! Nausea, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, numbness, fainting, and coma. The sap is extremely irritating to the skin and eyes.
Isoquinoline alkaloids
Sap/Juice
Roots
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Herbaceous Perennial
Poisonous
Weed
Clumping
Cultural Conditions
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Good Drainage
Moist
12 inches-3 feet
Less than 12 inches
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Landscape
Poor Soil
Heavy Shade
Woodland
Naturalized Area
Poisonous to Humans
Weedy
Contact Dermatitis

Chelidonium majus Attributes

Chelidonium majus: Uses (Ethnobotany)

Historically used as a wart remover.

Chelidonium majus: Country Or Region Of Origin

Eurasia

Chelidonium majus: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Chelidonium majus: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Chelidonium majus: Play Value

Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer

Chelidonium majus Fruit

Chelidonium majus: Fruit Description

Fruit a slender capsule about 2 inches long.

Chelidonium majus: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Chelidonium majus: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Chelidonium majus: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Chelidonium majus: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Chelidonium majus Flowers

Chelidonium majus: Flower Description

The 1/2 to 3/4 inch flowers are yellow and 4-parted, blooming in May through June.

Chelidonium majus: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow

Chelidonium majus: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Chelidonium majus: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Chelidonium majus: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Chelidonium majus: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Chelidonium majus: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Chelidonium majus: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Chelidonium majus Leaves

Chelidonium majus: Leaf Description

5-10 inch Leaves are pinnately divided and have veins that are easily seen since the veins are a lighter color. The leaflets are lobed.

Chelidonium majus: Leaf Color

spa
Gray/Silver
spa
Green

Chelidonium majus: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Chelidonium majus: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Chelidonium majus: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Chelidonium majus: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Chelidonium majus: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Chelidonium majus: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Chelidonium majus: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Chelidonium majus Stem

Chelidonium majus: Stem Description

Brittle with yellow-orange sap. The surface is waxy with sparse hairs.

Chelidonium majus: Stem Color

grass
Green

Chelidonium majus: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Chelidonium majus: Stem Surface

Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)

Chelidonium majus Poisonous to Humans

Chelidonium majus: Poison Symptoms

HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN! Nausea, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, numbness, fainting, and coma. The sap is extremely irritating to the skin and eyes.

Chelidonium majus: Poison Toxic Principle

Isoquinoline alkaloids

Chelidonium majus: Poison Severity

High
Low
Medium

Chelidonium majus: Causes Contact Dermatitis

No
Yes

Chelidonium majus: Poison Part

Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems

Chelidonium majus Whole Plant Traits

Chelidonium majus: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Chelidonium majus: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Chelidonium majus: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Chelidonium majus Cultural Conditions

Chelidonium majus: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Chelidonium majus: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Chelidonium majus: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Chelidonium majus: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Chelidonium majus: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Chelidonium majus: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Chelidonium majus Landscape

Chelidonium majus: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Chelidonium majus: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Chelidonium majus: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy