FlowerPoppy
California Poppy
California Poppy is the official state flower of California, and for good reason. This cool-season annual or short-lived perennial grows into loose, free-branching mounds 12-18 inches tall, crowned with silky, cup-shaped flowers in vibrant golden orange. Native to hillsides and open areas from southern Washington through California and into Mexico, it thrives in zones 6-10 and flowers reliably from June through July in just 50-59 days from seed. The finely divided, fern-like blue-green foliage is nearly as striking as the blooms themselves, and this heat-loving flower handles poor, sandy soils and drought with remarkable ease.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
6-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Sandy To Loamy Soil; Tolerates Poor Soil
Growth Stats
18 in
Height
18 in
Width
TypeUpright
Spacing
12
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
6-10
Size
18in H x 18in W
Growth
—
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
Golden orange blooms the size of silver dollars emerge from delicate silvery-green foliage, and they're magnets for butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees. California Poppies handle neglect beautifully, thriving in poor, sandy, or shallow-rocky soils where other flowers would struggle. The blooms last about ten days before the plant enters dormancy, then self-seeds prolifically if you let a few flowerheads mature, creating a perpetual parade of color year after year.
Common Uses
California Poppies are grown as informal garden flowers for borders, country gardens, and cottage-style plantings. Their vibrant color and drought tolerance make them excellent choices for xeriscaping and water-wise gardens. They're equally at home in containers and directly scattered in annual beds, and their ability to attract pollinators, birds, and hummingbirds gives them ecological value beyond their stunning appearance.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 2-3 weeks before your last spring frost date. Germination temperature should be 50-75°F. Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date once they've hardened off to garden conditions.
Transplant Outdoors
Transplant hardened-off seedlings into the garden after the last spring frost date. Space plants 12 inches apart in rows spaced 24 inches apart. California Poppies can also be direct seeded at the last spring frost date for faster establishment.
Direct Sow
Sow seed directly in the garden at the last spring frost date. Seed can also be sown in fall in USDA zones 6-10, allowing plants to establish and bloom earlier the following season.
Pruning
Deadhead flowers regularly throughout the blooming season to promote continuous flowering. Leave some flowerheads on the plant if you want it to self-seed; these mature seed pods will drop seed naturally for volunteer plants the following season.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Deer ResistantDrought TolerantAttracts Pollinators
Bloom Time
June To July
Attracts
BirdsButterfliesHummingbirds
Tolerances
DeerDroughtDry SoilRabbitShallow-rocky Soil
Scientific Classification
Eschscholzia californica
Family
Papaveraceae
Genus
Eschscholzia
Growth Habit
Upright
Native Status
L48 (N)AK (I)HI (I)CAN (I)
History & Origin
“Eschscholzia californica is native to the coastal and inland regions of the American West, from the cool temperate stretches of the Pacific Northwest down through California, Nevada, New Mexico, and into Mexico. It has been cultivated since the early 1800s and became California's state flower due to its iconic presence in the wild hillsides and roadsides of the region. Seed companies have offered California Poppy seed openly and freely for generations, preserving this heirloom as a non-GMO, open-pollinated flower that any gardener can save and replant season after season.”