California Poppy

The California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a popular garden flower of the family Papaveraceae. It is native to California and the southwestern United States.

Each plant will branch into many stems, each with a single, four-petaled yellow or orange bloom about 2 inches wide. It is drought tolerant and easy to grow; seeds and seedlings are sold commercially in other places with suitable climate, such as parts of Australia. It readily naturalizes (reseeds).

Horticulturalists have produced strains with various other colors and blossom and stem forms. These typically do not breed true on reseeding.

This plant is the State Flower of California, where it may readily be seen in the spring and early summer in many parts of the state.

Poppy seeds are often used in salads or on baked goods. Poppy seed pollen was once used cosmetically by Native Americans.