Wildflowers of the United States

California Poppy - Eschscholzia californica

Family: Papaveraceae – Poppy family

Genus Common Name: California Poppy

Native Status: Native

Eschscholzia californica - California Poppy. In spite of the beauty of its blossom, the California Poppy is considered to be a weed by many people. Native to North America, scattered wild populations of this plant are found in most states. However, since it was first collected on a Russian exploratory voyage to the west coast of North America in the early 19th century, it is likely that most of the eastern populations are the result of seeds and plants brought back from the west, rather than from native populations in those areas.

The California Poppy is the state flower of California.

Distribution of Eschscholzia californica in the United States and Canada:
USDA Plants Distribution Map

Blue=Native; Grey=Introduced

Map from USDA Plants Database:
USDA, NRCS. 2009. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 08 Sep 2010). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.
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Site: Payette River Valley, Boise County, ID Date: 2010-June-17	Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson
The 4 petals of the fully-opened California Poppy are fan-shaped.

Site: Payette River Valley, Boise County, ID Date: 2010-June-17	Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D60 Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
The lower part of the interior of the blossom is a darker orange. The flower has many stamens.
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Site: Payette River Valley, Boise County, ID Date:	Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D60 Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
Eschscholzia californica opens fully only on sunny days.
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Site: Payette River Valley, Boise County, ID Date: 2010-June-17	Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D60 Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
The California Poppy has a flat pinkish rim at the base of the ovary. This is a key identifier for this particular species, Eschscholzia californica.
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Site: Payette River Valley, Boise County, ID Date: 2010-June-17	Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D60 Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
The blossom of Eschscholzia californica sit atop a long smooth stem.
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Site: Payette River Valley, Boise County, ID Date: 2010-June-17	Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D60 Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
The leaves of the California Poppy are a bluish green and highly dissected. Notice the red tips on this example. I don't know if this is a standard feature of this species.
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All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2010
Photographs Copyrighted by the named photographer

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