Eschscholzia californica is a species of flowering plant in the Papaveraceae family, native to the United States and Mexico. It is an ornamental plant flowering with showy cup-shaped flowers in brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow.
The California poppy is a study in contrasts. The plants are vigorous, and often grow in vacant lots and roadsides with no tending. However, upon picking, you will discover that their beauty is fleeting, as the petals fall to the ground before you can even get the plants to a vase. A fast growing annual or tender perennial, California poppies are at their peak in the spring, but may bloom for gardeners in areas with cool summers over longer periods. The cheerful flowers seem to spring up overnight, blanketing large areas with bright orange, pink, or gold silky petals. Grow California poppies in abundance to fill gaps in your spring flowerbeds, untended wildflower meadows, or containers. Like most native wildflowers, California poppies are easy to care for and maintain. The key is providing them with growing conditions that mimic their native habitat. Invasive in California and Chile.