California poppy

Eschscholzia californica Cham.

California poppy has a close historical connection with San Francisco’s Presidio. The National Park Service identifies it as the type locality, where specimens were collected during an 1816 visit by a Russian expedition. Adelbert von Chamisso named the genus for his shipmate Johann Friedrich Eschscholtz. It later became California’s state flower. National Park Service: California Poppy at the Presidio

Botanical name

Eschscholzia californica Cham. is accepted by Kew, which includes two subspecies within this species. Kew POWO: Eschscholzia californica

Recognizing the plant

The plant may live as an annual or a short-lived perennial, with smooth, bluish-green foliage cut into fine divisions. Upright or spreading stems branch repeatedly. Solitary flowers top long stalks, their four broad petals forming a cup around numerous stamens. A caplike calyx encloses the bud. Long, slender capsules follow the flowers and contain small rounded seeds with a patterned surface. Flora of China: Eschscholzia californica

Bloom window

Presidio of San Francisco, California

The park’s local flowering period runs from February through November. National Park Service: California Poppy at the Presidio

Native range

Its native range extends beyond California across the western and south-central United States into northern Mexico. At the Presidio, the park account places it on coastal bluffs, dune flats, grassy hills and rocky ridges. Kew POWO: Eschscholzia californica National Park Service: California Poppy at the Presidio

Botanical sources

Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.