California poppy

Eschscholzia californica

Orange cups that close at night and reseed for free.

Type: herb or perennial · native and wild plants
Hardiness: zones 6 to 10
Light: full sun
Size: about 1 ft tall, 1 ft wide
From: California
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.

Good for: pollinators.

Native to: California, Pacific Northwest, Desert Southwest. Hardy in zones 6 to 10.

The story

Spanish sailors saw California's coastal hills ablaze with poppies and called the land the Golden West. The flowers close at night and on cloudy days, and open again when the sun reaches them.

Planting

Scatter seed on bare soil in fall, in full sun. Do not bury it or transplant it.

Growing

Nothing at all. Rich soil and water make it floppy. Cut back in summer for a second flush.

Harvest and use

Pollen for bees and beetles, and it reseeds itself for free, year after year.

What to watch for

It self-sows freely into gravel paths. All parts are mildly toxic.

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More native and wild plants

General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home