california poppy
Eschscholzia californica
RHS Plants for Pollinators
USDA zones6 to 10
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size12 to 18 inches tall12 to 18 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Orange to orange-yellow
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is an annual for borders, rock gardens, meadows, and containers. It shrugs off cool spells and light frost, though a hard freeze will damage it. This plant likes full sun and dry to moist, sandy or loamy soil. The satiny orange flowers open only on sunny days, and bees and butterflies visit them. It reseeds so readily that it can become weedy, so pull extra seedlings. Deer and rabbits tend to pass it by.
Pairs well with Little bluestem, Blue grama, and Creeping phlox.
Native range
North America.