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Home  /  Plants  /  Budburst Species  /  Eschscholzia californica
Phenology Observation Sheet for Wildflowers and Herbs

COMMON NAME

California poppy

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Eschscholzia californica

ALSO KNOWN AS

golden poppy, California sunlight, cup of gold

Plant family

Poppy (Papaveraceae)

Plant group

Wildflowers and Herbs

California poppies are both native and introduced in North America. They can be annuals or perennials and are small herbaceous plants.
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OBSERVERS
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OBSERVATIONS
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Identification hints

California poppies have bright distinct orange-yellow flowers that are upright and bell-shaped. The petals fold inward in cold or dark weather and at night, opening again when the sun comes out. The leaves are finely dissected and blue-green in color.
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Did you know?

California poppy is the state flower for, you guessed it, California! Historically, hills of California were blanketed in wildflowers like the California poppy each spring. Although beautiful, this plant has become invasive in parts of the world, such as Chile, where it was originally introduced as an ornamental plant.
DISTRIBUTION IN TH U.S.
Alaska , Alabama , Arizona , California , Colorado , Connecticut , Delaware , Georgia , Hawaii , Idaho , Illinois , Kentucky , Louisiana , Massachusetts , Michigan , Missouri , North Carolina , Nebraska , New Hampshire , New Mexico , Nevada , New York , Ohio , Oregon , Pennsylvania , South Carolina , Tennessee , Texas , Utah , Washington , Wisconsin , Wyoming
HABITAT
California poppy's native range extends across western North America including in desert and coastal biomes. It is often found in open, disturbed, and grassy areas, and tolerates sunny conditions and dry, nutrient-poor soils.
ATTRIBUTES
Leaves
Leaves of this species are linear to dissected which makes them look somewhat fern-like, and concentrated at the base of flowering stems. Stems and leaves are typically soft bluish-green in color.
Flowers
Flowers of California poppies open from erect and long-pointed buds enclosed within two sepals. When the flowers open, they reveal four petals that may be yellow to light orange to dark orange. The petals are 0.75 to 2.5 in long, and you may see orange spots at the base of yellow flowers. When the petals wither and drop, they leave a crown-like rim around the base of the developing fruits.
Fruits
California poppies have dry, elongated capsule fruits that range from 1.25 to 3.75 inches long. These capsules burst open when dried, sometimes making a sound as they split, and they release numerous small black or dark brown seeds.
Bloom Time
California poppies typically bloom from March to May but can be found blooming between February and October depending on the location.

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