Meet the California Poppy
California Poppy | Eschscholzia californica
How do you know it’s me?:
I am an annual flowering plant, or a short-lived perennial in zones 8-10.
My flowers are cup shaped, with four papery petals. They stand on tall, narrow stems.
I have very finely-textured leaves.
My leaves have a blue-green color and fern-like look, with a smooth texture and deep, rounded lobes.
After my flowers are spent, an okra-shaped pod remains, which will mature and release thousands of tiny black seeds.
How big do I grow?: 1’ - 2’ height and spread.
Sun-seeker or shade-lover: Full sun.
Where I prefer to put my roots: I am a very drought tolerant plant that enjoys dry, well-drained, rocky or sandy soils.
Hardiness: Zone 6-10
Original home: I am native to (you guessed it) the western United States to Mexico.
Colors: My flowers are typically orange, but can also be yellow.
When I bloom: Spring into mid-summer.
Wildlife friends: I am a desirable early season food source for western US pollinators.
Flora Fun Facts: I am the state flower of California.
More Info: This cheerful bloom is right at home in a rocky landscape, with delicate petals that flutter in the breeze. Its blue-green foliage pairs nicely with purple flowering plants and similarly colored cactus species.
A member of the Papaveraceae (Poppy) family.
In its native habitat, this plant can be found growing in grasslands and among sagebrush and pinyon woodlands. It thrives on hot dry sites with poor soils.
Oftentimes, the flowers close up in rainy or cloudy weather, and at night.
Easily grown from seed, sown directly in the ground or started indoors. A great selection for a border planting, rock garden, meadow planting, or in a container.
If the flower is not dead-headed, it may self-seed and spread.
