# Plant Monograph: Celandine
**Name of plant:**
Celandine
**Catch phrase (Carmina Gadelica or traditional invocation if available):**
**“Golden celandine, herb of the sun, open the eye and restore the light.”**
No specific Carmina Gadelica invocation for celandine has been identified. The plant nevertheless has a long European folklore and medicinal tradition, particularly surrounding the eyes and the removal of warts.
**Family:**
Papaveraceae
**Genus and species:**
*Chelidonium majus* L.
**Other names:**
* Greater celandine
* Celandine
* Swallowwort
* Swallow-wort
* Greater swallow-wort
* Celandine poppy
* Yellow celandine
* Chelidonium
* *Chelidonium majus*
* Gaelic names are not securely established in the traditional Gaelic medical corpus; the English name should not be confused with **lesser celandine**, *Ficaria verna*.
**Brief introduction:**
Greater celandine is a perennial herb native to Europe and parts of Asia and now naturalized in North America. It is a member of the poppy family and is readily recognized by its yellow flowers and orange-yellow latex, which appears when the stems or leaves are broken.
The plant has a particularly strong place in European folk medicine. Its traditional associations include the eyes, warts, skin growths, digestive complaints and the liver. The name *Chelidonium* derives from Greek **chelidōn**, “swallow,” reflecting the ancient belief that the plant's appearance was associated with the arrival of swallows.
Despite its long history, greater celandine is **not considered a safe general-purpose internal medicinal herb today** because its alkaloids can produce significant toxicity, particularly involving the liver.
**Traditional uses:**
* Fresh orange latex was traditionally applied externally to warts and corns.
* Preparations were historically associated with eye complaints and impaired vision.
* Used traditionally for digestive disturbances and sluggish digestion.
* Historically employed as a “liver herb” and cholagogue.
* Used externally for various skin eruptions and growths.
**Historical use:**
* Dioscorides described celandine in ancient Greek medicine and associated it with the eyes.
* Medieval European herbalists continued the tradition of using the yellow-orange juice for eye complaints.
* The doctrine of signatures contributed to the plant's association with the eyes because of its bright yellow juice and its supposed relationship with swallows.
* European folk medicine used the fresh latex extensively for warts and other keratinized skin growths.
* Traditional herbal medicine used the aerial parts and roots internally for liver and biliary complaints.
**Parts used and method of use:**
* Aerial parts.
* Root and fresh orange-yellow latex.
Used as:
* Historically prepared as an infusion or decoction.
* Historically taken as a tincture or liquid extract.
* Fresh latex traditionally applied directly to warts and corns.
* Diluted preparations were historically used externally for certain skin complaints.
**Use in healing (modern herbal practice):**
* The fresh latex has traditionally been used externally for warts and corns.
* Extracts have been investigated for antimicrobial and antiviral activity.
* Traditional use has focused on biliary and digestive complaints.
* Experimental research has investigated alkaloids for anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity.
* Modern herbal medicine generally treats internal use with considerable caution because of reports of hepatotoxicity.
There is **insufficient evidence to recommend oral greater celandine as a routine treatment**, and modern safety concerns substantially limit its internal use.
**Pharmacology and biochemistry:**
* **Chelidonine** — a major isoquinoline alkaloid with effects on smooth muscle and cellular signalling.
* **Sanguinarine** — a biologically active benzophenanthridine alkaloid with antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties.
* **Chelerythrine** — another benzophenanthridine alkaloid with protein-kinase-C-related cellular effects.
Mechanisms:
* Isoquinoline alkaloids interact with multiple cellular and enzymatic targets and can affect smooth-muscle tone and neuronal signalling.
* Sanguinarine and chelerythrine demonstrate antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity in laboratory studies.
* Some constituents affect inflammatory signalling pathways and cellular proliferation in experimental models.
**Overall profile:**
Greater celandine is a **pharmacologically active but potentially toxic medicinal plant**. Its historical external use for warts has a long tradition, while its internal use for liver and digestive disorders is now limited by documented concerns regarding liver injury. The plant should not be treated as a benign “detox” herb.
**Common dosage:**
* **Fresh latex, external:** applied sparingly to the wart or corn while avoiding surrounding healthy skin.
* **External diluted preparation:** concentration varies according to formulation; use only according to a professionally prepared product.
* **Oral infusion/decoction:** **not recommended as a self-treatment** because safe medicinal dosing has not been established in light of hepatotoxicity concerns.
* **Oral tincture/extract:** **not recommended without qualified clinical supervision.**
**Safety factors (including side effects):**
* **Internal use can cause liver injury**, including hepatitis and cholestatic liver damage.
* Possible symptoms include nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, dark urine, jaundice and elevated liver enzymes.
* Do not use internally during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
* Avoid use in people with existing liver disease or unexplained abnormal liver-function tests.
* Fresh latex can irritate or damage healthy skin and must be kept away from the eyes; prolonged internal use is particularly inappropriate.
**First aid / adverse reaction response:**
* **Skin irritation:** immediately wash the area thoroughly with soap and water and discontinue use.
* **Eye exposure:** flush immediately with copious amounts of clean water and obtain medical attention if irritation persists.
* **Nausea, abdominal pain or unusual fatigue after ingestion:** discontinue use and seek medical advice.
* **Dark urine, pale stools or yellowing of the skin/eyes:** stop use and seek urgent medical assessment for possible liver injury.
* **Severe poisoning or neurological symptoms:** contact a poison-control centre or emergency medical service immediately.
**Drug interactions:**
* May interact adversely with medicines that can themselves cause liver injury.
* Theoretical interactions are possible with drugs metabolized through hepatic enzyme systems.
* Because of its hepatotoxicity, concurrent use with other hepatotoxic herbs or concentrated extracts should be avoided.
* Anyone taking prescription medication should consult a physician or pharmacist before internal use.
**Horticultural requirements:**
* **USDA / Canadian zone:** Approximately USDA zones 3–8.
* **Soil pH:** Approximately 5.5–7.5.
* **Light requirements:** Partial shade to full sun.
* **Moisture:** Moderate moisture; prefers fertile, well-drained soil but tolerates a range of conditions.
**Other notes (growth habit, harvest timing, etc.):**
* **Growth habit:** Herbaceous perennial, generally 30–90 cm tall, with branching stems and blue-green foliage containing orange-yellow latex.
* **Flowering/fruiting:** Yellow four-petalled flowers appear from late spring through summer, followed by long narrow seed capsules.
* **Harvest timing:** Aerial parts are traditionally collected during flowering; roots are generally harvested during dormancy.
* **Habitat:** Woodland margins, hedgerows, walls, roadsides, disturbed ground and shaded gardens.
* **Propagation/cultivation notes:** Easily propagated from seed and capable of spreading aggressively. Seeds are dispersed naturally and plants can become persistent once established. Gloves are advisable when handling the fresh latex.
**Sampling of clinical reports / studies:**
* **Clinical evidence:** Modern clinical evidence for oral greater celandine is limited, while multiple reports have associated oral preparations with hepatotoxicity.
* **Pharmacological study:** Celandine alkaloids demonstrate antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activities in laboratory research.
* **Phytochemical study:** The plant contains numerous isoquinoline alkaloids, including chelidonine, sanguinarine, chelerythrine and related compounds.
* **Ethnobotanical evidence:** European folk medicine provides extensive historical documentation of external wart treatment and traditional internal use for digestive and hepatobiliary complaints.
* **Overall assessment of evidence:** **Strong historical and ethnobotanical record, interesting pharmacological activity, but significant safety concerns surrounding internal use. External traditional use for warts is the principal historical application that remains of interest, while oral use should generally be avoided without professional supervision.**
Educational Use Only: The information presented on this page is provided for educational, historical, and informational purposes only. ArdNemeton na Tuatha and Bhùth Draoi do not provide medical advice. Always consult your physician and pharmacist before using any herb, mushroom, supplement, or botanical product for medicinal purposes. Traditional uses described herein do not constitute medical claims.