California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
California's state flower, opening silken cups of brilliant orange across sunny ground and reseeding into golden drifts. Closes at night and in fog. Young leaves have occasionally been cooked as a potherb, though as a member of the poppy family — which includes several toxic species — this is a minor, use-with-caution food rather than a reliable green.
- Family
- Papaveraceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- annual
- Height
- 1–1.5 ft
- Spacing
- 1–1.5 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- dry, moist
- Soil pH
- acidic, neutral
- Bloom
- February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October
- Bloom colors
- orange, yellow
- Wildlife value
- pollinators
- Landscape uses
- border, container, erosion control, naturalizing
- Native states
- AZ, CA, NM, NV, OR, TX, WA