California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit:	Herb/Forb
Life cycle:	Perennial
Sun Requirements:	Full Sun Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences:	Mesic Dry Mesic Dry
Minimum cold hardiness:	Zone 6a -23.3 °C (-10 °F) to -20.6 °C (-5 °F)
Maximum recommended zone:	Zone 10b
Plant Height:	30-50 cm (12 inches - 20 inches)
Plant Spread:	20-25 cm (8 inches - 10 inches)
Flowers:	Showy
Flower Color:	Orange
Flower Time:	Spring Late spring or early summer Summer Late summer or early fall Fall Late fall or early winter
Underground structures:	Taproot
Uses:	Medicinal Herb Cut Flower Suitable as Annual
Wildlife Attractant:	Bees
Resistances:	Deer Resistant Rabbit Resistant Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds:	Depth to plant seed: cover the seeds thin Suitable for wintersowing Sow in situ Start indoors
Pollinators:	Bees
Miscellaneous:	Tolerates poor soil

Common names

California Poppy
Californian Poppy
California Gold Poppy
California Sunlight
Cup of Gold

Photo Gallery

Uploaded by Judith2018

Location: Blenheim New Zealand
Date: 2015-11-19

Uploaded by bootandall

Uploaded by KFredenburg

Uploaded by KFredenburg

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: IL
Date: 2011-10-23
#Pollination Oct. 23 - A good late season bloomer for bees.

Uploaded by molanic

Location: Tampa Bay, Florida
Date: 2021-03-08

Uploaded by BellaKelly

Location: Mission San Juan Capistrano, Orange County, California
Date: 2019-04-07

Uploaded by CaliforniaPeach

Location: Santa Clara
Date: 2014-04-03
from my yard when I lived there 7 years ago

Uploaded by jbcphotos

Location: New Mexico
Maurce J. Kaufmann http://bioimages.vanderbilt.edu/

Uploaded by SongofJoy

Location: Cedarhome, Washington
Date: 2012-06-24

Uploaded by Bonehead

Date: c. 1878
illustration by Macfarlane from 'The Florist and Pomologist', 187

Uploaded by scvirginia

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2014-07-06

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Photo courtesy of Annie's Annuals and Perennials

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens
Date: Sep 28, 2011 1:19 PM

Uploaded by chelle

Location: Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney, N.S.W., Australia
Date: 2012-10-26

Uploaded by carolem

Location: Atlanta GA
Date: 2021-04-16
California poppy, April 156, 2021

Uploaded by paleohunter

Uploaded by molanic

Location: South Jordan, Utah, United States
Date: 2018-05-23

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Date: 2003-05-04
Photo courtesy of: Vsion

Uploaded by admin

Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2017-06-17
In the kitchen garden

Uploaded by kniphofia

Location: Historic Sarah's Garden at the David Davis mansion, Bloomington, Illinois
Date: 2012-06-16

Uploaded by BookerC1

Location: Decatur, GA
Date: 2020-05-18
Eschscholzia californica, 2020-05-18. This plant was from seed s

Uploaded by paleohunter

Location: Sandy, Utah, United States
Date: 2023-08-12

Uploaded by BlueOddish

Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2018-04-05

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Uploaded by Kelli

Location: Mountains of northern California
Date: May 03, 2018

Uploaded by RoseBlush1

Location: My Cincinnati Ohio garden
Date: June 2012
A clump of volunteer California poppies

Uploaded by kqcrna

Uploaded by Jai_Ganesha

Location: Coastal San Diego County
Date: 2018-03-28

Uploaded by carlysuko

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2010-04-18

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Location: Blenheim New Zealand
Date: 2020-10-06
growing wild

Uploaded by bootandall

Uploaded by m33jones2

Location: Whitesboro, NY (Utica area)
Date: 2018-07-19

Uploaded by delirow

Uploaded by delirow

Uploaded by dave

Location: Prescott, AZ
Date: 2017-05-01
California Poppies Dress the Bare Bases of Climbing Roses

Uploaded by Steve812

Uploaded by joannakat

Uploaded by Jai_Ganesha

Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2013-06-29

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

Uploaded by vic

Location: Southern Pines, NC
Date: May 29, 2022
California poppy #202 and #54 nn; RAB page 481, 85-3-1; LHB p. 42

Uploaded by WebTucker

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2012-06-11
Note seed capsule behind bloom.

Uploaded by chelle

Location: Orange County, California
Date: 2020-02-29

Uploaded by Mathomhouse

Location: Mountains of northern California
May 05, 2018

Uploaded by RoseBlush1

Location: Mountains of northern California
Date: May 05, 2018

Uploaded by RoseBlush1

Uploaded by RoseBlush1

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2010-05-31
Spring plants from seed sown in Autumn.

Uploaded by chelle

Location: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, California
Date: 2012-03-25
Coastal California form is yellow

Uploaded by Kelli

Location: Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento CA.
Date: 2018-01-22
Very unusual/atypical foliage grows the same every year.

Uploaded by HamiltonSquare

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Uploaded by joannakat

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Location: Garland (Dallas), TX
Date: 2015-04-30

Uploaded by lovemyhouse

Location: Riverside, CA
Date: 2015-03-30

Uploaded by JulieB

Uploaded by delirow

Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2013-07-07

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2014-08-23

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

This species was introduced to Chile and grows wild in a great po

Uploaded by Mutisia

Date: 2011-03-30
Photo courtesy of: Thomas

Uploaded by admin

Location: Mountains of northern California
Date: May 28, 2018

Uploaded by RoseBlush1

Uploaded by joannakat

Location: Chelsea flower Show England
Date: 2002 summer
Eschscholzia californica Blooms

Uploaded by Permastake

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by Natalie

Date: 2017-02-19
First California poppy bloom opening up

Uploaded by carlysuko

Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2015-06-17

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

Uploaded by robertduval14

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2016-08-04

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2009-07-26

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by delirow

Uploaded by delirow

Uploaded by Joy

Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2014-08-27

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

Uploaded by RoseBlush1

Uploaded by RoseBlush1

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Location: Point Mugu State Park, California
Date: 2014-03-14

Uploaded by Kelli

Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-02-17

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

Location: Ontario, Canada
Date: 2013-06-28

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

Location: My front garden in Welland, Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada
Date: 2015-08-27
Close-up For detail

Uploaded by jenniferatemple

Uploaded by vic

Uploaded by joannakat

Location: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, Ann Arbor, MI
Date: 2011-07-21

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by DaylilySLP

Uploaded by WebTucker

Uploaded by Mutisia

Location: Boone County Kentucky
Date: 2017-07-10

Uploaded by dryad

Uploaded by Calif_Sue

Uploaded by bennysplace

Location: Coastal San Diego County
Date: 2017-04-05

Uploaded by carlysuko

Location: My Northeastern Indiana Gardens - Zone 5b
Date: 2011-06-15

Uploaded by chelle

Uploaded by SassyBluejay

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Location: Heathcote Ontario Canada
Date: 2004
Eschscholzia californica seedpods

Uploaded by Permastake

Location: Wester wallflower and poppies on Mount Diablo Bald Ridge Trail
Photo courtesy of: Miguel Vieira

Uploaded by admin

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by MrGrimGarden

Location: Central Texas
Date: 2016-04-09

Uploaded by Esperanza

Location: Bloomington, Illinois
Date: 2012-06-16
At the David Davis Mansion, in the historic Sarah's Garden, Bloom

Uploaded by BookerC1

Location: central Illinois
Date: summer 2009

Uploaded by jmorth

Uploaded by Newyorkrita

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by robertduval14

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

Uploaded by Daylilybaby

This plant is tagged in:

Comments:

Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on May 4, 2012 5:31 PM concerning plant:

Honey bees get nectar and pollen from this plant.

Reply to this comment
Posted by Newyorkrita (North Shore, Long Island, NY ) on Oct 4, 2011 2:42 PM concerning plant:

While an annual, California poppies reseed each year here in my garden so I have never had to replant them since I started seeds one spring and planted. My plants mostly bloom in a golden yellow color with some deeper and lighter gold blooms thrown in. I also have some off white ones. If there is enough rain they will start blooming in the spring and bloom non stop into the fall. If it is drier, they stop in mid summer and start blooming again come fall.

Reply to this comment
Posted by BookerC1 (Mackinaw, IL - Zone 5a) on Jun 18, 2012 8:34 AM concerning plant:

These blooms open in the morning when the sun rises, and shine brightly all day. When the sun goes down, the petals close up for the night.

Reply to this comment
Posted by Bonehead (Planet Earth - Zone 8b) on Mar 22, 2014 10:22 PM concerning plant:

Native in the Pacific NW, from British Columbia to California, east to Arizona and New Mexico. Sometimes found in the median strip of the freeway, which is quite lovely. I wish the State would do more native wildflower plantings along roadsides. The genus is named for Johann Frederic Eschscholtz, a Russian scientist who visited California in 1816.

Reply to this comment
Posted by kqcrna (Valencia, Pa - Zone 6a) on Nov 8, 2012 7:10 AM concerning plant:

I generally don't deadhead, and continue to find a few volunteers each year. They tolerate heat and drought well, and are very resilient. They also wintersow well.

Reply to this comment
Posted by robertduval14 (Milford, New Hampshire - Zone 5b) on Apr 20, 2013 9:21 AM concerning plant:

The state flower of California.

Reply to this comment

Plant Events from our members
chelle	On March 20, 2015	Seeds sown Thai Silk Mix - older seed Direct sown - Ash tree bed
chelle	On March 20, 2015	Seeds sown Thai Silk Appleblossom Bush - older seed Direct sown - Ash tree bed
chelle	On March 19, 2015	Seeds sown South to West Ash tree bed Lily bed with fence, and on toward crabapple Rock sculpture bed
piksihk	On March 1, 2018	Bloomed Wildflower pack
piksihk	On June 21, 2014	Plant Ended (Removed, Died, Discarded, etc)
dragonfetti	On March 16, 2015	Bloomed Many full of flowers.
dragonfetti	On November 22, 2014	Obtained plant Always some growing but the spring is of course the best time as they are all through the front yard. My husband's favorite flower.
lovesblooms	On March 10, 2018	Seeds sown direct
lovesblooms	On May 11, 2015	Seeds sown direct
vanillabright	On March 11, 2016	Plant emerged
WebTucker	On June 3, 2022	Bloomed
WebTucker	On May 29, 2022	Bloomed
Flowerlover6	On October 19, 2022	Seeds sown
dnrevel	On February 26, 2023	Seeds sown Planted in a medium size pot and put in the greenhouse. Seeds from Happy Green Shop.
Retro67	On May 7, 2024	Seeds sown Sewn at southwest corner of house. Behind mint.

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Eschscholzia California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

Eschscholzia
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica)