Plant of the Month (February) : California Poppy – Eschscholzia californica ~ Tk-123456

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): Mother Nature's Garden of Health

One
of the more impressive spring perennials is the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). With all the other spring-blooming treasures,
we’ve yet to feature this native crowd-pleaser.
So we’ll remedy that this month.
The slightly tongue-tying scientific name is pronounced es-shuh-HOLES-ee-uh cal-i-FOR-ni-cuh. The genus name honors Dr.
Johann Friedrich Gustav von Eschscholtz (1793-1831), an Estonian surgeon and
botanist with Russian expeditions to the California coast in the early 1800’s.

California
poppy is the quintessential California plant; in fact, it’s the state flower. It grows throughout much of the state, with
the exception of the hottest deserts and high elevations. It has always been an important player in
plant communities all along the California coast. Early explorers wrote of the ‘fields of gold’
on the coastal hillsides. And
California poppies, some started from seeds brought back long ago, brighten
gardens throughout the world.

In
Los Angeles County, California poppy grows on Catalina Island, in the Santa
Monica Mountains, on the Palos Verdes peninsula, in the L.A. Basin (from the
coast to the San Gabriel Mountains), in the San Gabriel Mountains and in the
Antelope Valley. It was collected by Los Angeles County botanists as early as
the 1850’s. Specimens from all the major California plant
collectors, from then to the present, reside in herbaria worldwide.

California
poppy is a member of a wide range of plant communities, from the higher
elevation Yellow Pine, Red Fir and Lodgepole Forests, to the lower elevation Foothill
Woodland, Chaparral, Valley Grassland, Northern Coastal Scrub and Coastal
Prairie communities. Although several
regional sub-types have been proposed, all are currently lumped under the
parent species.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): coastal form

The
coastal form of the poppy – still sometimes called Eschscholzia californica ssp. californica
or Eschscholzia californica ssp. maritima - is bright golden yellow with
a yellow-orange center. We still try to
grow this form in our local gardens (and ruthlessly remove plants with ‘too
orange’ flowers). We encourage California
gardeners to search out seed sources from their own area, to help keep the
regional types from disappearing.

The
more familiar ‘all orange’ form was originally found further inland in S.
California. Good examples of the inland
form can be seen at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, west of
Lancaster (Los Angeles County). Check
the wildflower hotline (http://theodorepayne.org/education/wildflower-hotline/)
for what’s blooming, and where.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): re-sprouting

California
poppy is an herbaceous perennial, although it is grown as an annual wildflower
in places with cold winters or very hot summers. Locally, plants die back to a stout woody stem/root
with hot weather, remaining dormant until the cool, moist weather of late
fall/winter. A summer rainstorm (or a little summer water) will sometimes trick
them into emerging early – if the temperatures are not too hot. Individual plants can live many years; we
know of one in our personal garden that is 35 years and going strong.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): old plant

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): growth habit

Many
readers will be familiar with the appearance of California poppy. It’s a low-growing plant, the foliage never
more than 12 inches (30 cm) tall and about as wide. The overall shape is loosely mounded. The
leaves are pale gray-green to medium green and are finely dissected (see photo
below). The plant has a delicate,
refined appearance. That’s probably one
reason why gardeners like it.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): leaves

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): flower bud

Many
gardeners are also familiar with California poppy’s flowers, which are usually
around 2 inches (5 cm.) wide on a slender stem.
The flowers are simple yet uniquely beautiful; a fitting symbol of our
California natural heritage. They have
four delicate, fan-shaped petals. The
petals are rolled into a cylindrical bud (above) and unfurl as the flower
emerges, forming an open, bowl-shaped flower.
Flowers open in the day and close-up at dusk (or on cloudy or windy
days). One Spanish name for this plant
is ‘dormidera’ or ‘the sleepy one’ – perhaps in reference to the floral
closure.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): flower unrolling

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): flower fully open

The
sexual parts of the flower are conspicuous above the petals. The female parts (pistil) are centrally
located, with a stigma (top part) divided (see below). The stamens are several to many, around the
stigma. After pollination, the sexual
parts wither, and the developing ovary becomes more prominent (below). The
petals ultimately fall off, leaving the seed pod.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): floral parts

The
floral architecture is relatively unspecialized and typical of the Poppy family
(Papaveraceae). Flowers produce little nectar and are
virtually unscented. Their pollinators
are a wide variety of insects, from beetles to pollinator flies, bees and
others. While there are beetles, we mostly see bees visiting the flowers in our gardens. It’s fun to watch them – whether European
Honey Bees or native species – scrambling around in the floral bowl. The procedure’s a bit ungainly, but the bees
seem to pick up (and distribute) plenty of pollen (below).

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): bees

California
poppies usually produce lots of seeds.
The seeds are small, rounded and brown when ripe. You’ll know when the seeds are ripe: the dry
pods spring open with explosive force, spreading the seeds. If you want to collect seeds, wait until
pods become a purple-brown, almost ready to open. Snip off the pods and place them in a
(well-closed) paper bag in a cool place. After they finish drying, separate the
seeds from the dry pod pieces; then store seeds in a labeled glass jar or
envelope in a cool, dark place.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica):

seed pods

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): old pod sections

California
poppies are good naturalizers, as long as a garden is not heavily mulched. You can let the plants go to seed – or
collect seeds and give them as gifts, if you’ve already got too many
plants. The seedlings are very
distinctive (see below) and easy to pull up when young. If happy, a few plants will produce offspring
throughout a garden in a year or two. If
you need to pull up some young plants (below) you can always dry them for use
medicinally.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): seedlings

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): young plants

Eschscholzia californica
can be grown in most
soils – sandy to clay. It does like sun
(at least half-day) and either bare soil,
thin leaf mulch or inorganic (gravel) mulch. A heavy layer of bark mulch will prevent seeds from sprouting (they
need light). Sprinkle seeds
out in garden beds with the fall rains (or in spring in colder climates).
Seedlings are very susceptible to drying out (a good way to limit their
spread). But plants (even last year’s
plants) are very drought tolerant.
California poppies have a stout orange taproot, allowing them to access deep
water. In a ‘normal’ year, they may need
no supplemental water. But in a dry California
winter, plants need watering every 2-3 weeks, if rains don’t keep the soils
moist.

We
like to let our plants gradually dry out after blooming slows down – usually
about the end of April in our part of S. California. Plants will die back to the ground. After plants have gone to seed, cut the dead
leaves and stems back for a neater appearance.
That’s really about all there is to it, since plants get along fine with
little to no summer water and no fertilizer.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): in garden

So
why include California poppies in your garden?
A better question is ‘why not’? They are our state flower. You can start them inexpensively from
seed. They make a good filler between
plants or when a new garden is getting started. And they naturalize, making
them an excellent investment over time.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): good filler plant

They
provide patches of golden accent, at a time when days may be gray and
rainy. They look absolutely glorious with
annual wildflowers, grasses and perennials.
Since they are native to much of California, you can combine them with
your own local native palette, creating a truly authentic regional garden. And pollinators and seed-eating birds will
thank you for your thoughtfulness.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): with

local native plants, Madrona Marsh Nature Center

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): with

Arroyo lupine (Lupinus succulentus)

We
love to pair the gold of poppies with the blues and purples of Lupines,
Blue-eyed grass, the Gilias and Phacelias. We get so many complements on these
combinations; you may want to use them in your garden as well. And, of course, you can always find a place
for California poppy in your herb or medicinal garden.

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): in Mother Nature's

Garden of Health

California
poppy seeds can be used in any recipe calling for poppy seeds. The entire plant has long been used
medicinally as well. Like all poppies, Eschscholzia californica produces
chemicals with sedative properties. In the
California poppy, these chemicals are mild and apparently not
habit-forming. In old times, an infusion
made from the whole plant was used to calm colicky babies and induce sleep in
babies and children. The juice was
applied directly for toothache.

A
cup of California poppy tea, made from dried plants and sweetened a bit, is a
gentle sleep aid when taken half an hour before bed time (we know – we’ve tried
it). It is reported to also help reduce anxiety, relieve headaches and
calm tense muscles and nerves. It may
prove to be an important treatment plant for the young and elderly alike. But
as with any herbal medicine, care should
be taken when using Eschscholzia
californica.

Adequate
clinical trials to assess dosing, safety and effectiveness of California poppy are
not yet available. The only way to determine these important properties, in a
wide range of people, is through carefully controlled and conducted medical
studies. Until we have clear,
scientific-based evidence, California poppy should be taken with caution, and
only after consulting a medical practitioner.
For more on the medicinal uses and cautions, see the references
below.

In
summary, California poppy is a plant that belongs in California gardens. It’s our state flower and we’d love to see
entire neighborhoods blanketed in yellow, as they were in times gone by. This
plant is an important part of our natural heritage; an easy way to celebrate the
place we call home. And we welcome non-California
gardeners to enjoy a bit of California gold in their own gardens. We’re
always happy to share the wealth!