Bloomipedia
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)
Photo: Isaac Ethington via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

California poppy

Eschscholzia californica

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a flowering plant in the Papaveraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–June across the U.S.

★ Official state flower of California (1903)Native in the lower 48

California poppy is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

32states where USDA records it
4Bloomipedia state lists include it
76,104U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington

🏅
California's official state flower since 1903. Visit the California page → Cal. Gov. Code § 421

Quick look

Eschscholzia californica, the California poppy, golden poppy, Mexican poppy, California sunlight or cup of gold, is a species of flowering plant in the family Papaveraceae, native to the United States and Mexico. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant flowering in summer, with showy flowers in brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow. It is also used as food or a garnish.

  • It belongs to the Papaveraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 32 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to California, Oregon and Washington. NatureServe
  • NatureServe lists it as not native to Arizona. NatureServe
  • In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as orange. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1.2 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 61,113 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #1 among the 178 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 5,901 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #14 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,467 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #45 among the 184 flowers on our Oregon list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (10,893 records)
Bloom time in the 4 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
CaliforniaNativeMarch–May61,113
ArizonaIntroducedFebruary–April5,901
OregonNativeApril–June3,467
WashingtonNativeMay–August2,754

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
California
Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
Arizona
Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
Oregon
Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. OAR 603-073-0070
Washington
No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “The leaves and stems can be eaten.” NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records California poppy in 32 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lake, Lassen, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma.

Oregon counties with USDA records: Benton, Clackamas, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Wasco, Washington, Yamhill.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives California poppy a medium shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.8 to 7.5 and winter lows down to 7 °F.

Shade tolerance
Medium
Drought tolerance
Medium
Moisture use
Low
Soil textures it is adapted to
medium, fine
Soil pH range
5.8 to 7.5
Minimum temperature tolerated
7 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum)
120
Annual precipitation range
8 to 18 inches
Minimum root depth
10 inches
Salinity tolerance
None
Fertility requirement
Low
Growth rate
Moderate
Lifespan
Short
Active growth period
Spring, Summer, Fall
Fruit or seed
Brown · Summer to Summer
Can be propagated by
container, seed
Commercial availability
Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for ESCA2. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Introduced; Canada: Introduced; Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 159 counties across 27 states; the most are in California (53), Oregon (18), Arizona (13).

Other Eschscholzia on Bloomipedia (1): Mojave poppy.

More from the Papaveraceae family (16 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, Greater celandine, Pacific bleeding heart, Celandine poppy, Bush poppy, Squirrel corn, Yellow corydalis.

More California flowers

Bush poppy (Dendromecon rigida)

Bush poppy

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California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)

California buckwheat

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🌼 Blooms in CA: April–July
Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

Toyon

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🌼 Blooms in CA: June–August

Sources