California Poppy Eschscholzia californica

This annual poppy is native to the western U.S. and is the state flower of California. It adds vibrant color to hot dry sites with poor soil.   It is considered a drought-tolerant, cool-season annual. 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.

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.   

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.