California Poppy Eschscholzia californica

The genus honors world traveler, Johann Friedrich Eschscholz of Estonia.  

This annual poppy is native to the western U.S. and is the state flower of California. It can be found growing in washes, flats and slopes, grassland and among sagebrush, and juniper and pinyon woodlands.

It adds vibrant color to hot dry sites with poor soil.   It is considered a drought-tolerant, cool-season annual and a short-lived perennial in zones 8 through 10.

The flowers stand on tall stems waving above a mound of loose feathery blue-green foliage in the spring through July.  Flowers are 3" in diameter, cup-shaped, and have 4 silky petals. Bright orange is the most common color though the range is creamy yellow to bright orange. A number of cultivars are available in other colors. as well as in semi-double and double forms.  

Flowers close up in rainy or cloudy weather and at night. Deadhead flowers regularly to promote additional bloom, but leave some flower heads for self-seeding if desired.  The bloom petals give way to capsules that later split open to release thousands of tiny black poppy seeds.

A good time to sow the seeds directly in the ground is in the fall or start the seeds indoors about 3 weeks prior to the last frost date.   

Its young stems and leaves can be eaten both cooked or raw.  The stems can have a sour, but pleasant taste. Seeds can also be consumed.  Its hollow stems can also be used as a straw or as a tobacco pipe.

These annuals may be used in a wide variety of garden areas with plants of similar sun and watering needs. Locations may include garden beds, borders, rock gardens, or in various containers. They work well in large groupings like meadows or smaller naturalized areas.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  No significant issues.  To prevent the spread by self-seeding, deadheading is recommended.  

Full sun is ideal for this plant, it will not grow in shade.