California Poppies

 

As its name already suggests, the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is California's state flower. You can find it anywhere in the state, it loves dry and sunny conditions, perfect for a part of the country that so often is short on water. The orange flowers make happy, vibrant spots in the landscape and can hardly be overlooked.

They also love to settle in gardens and since they freely self-sow it's almost impossible to get rid off them. I welcome them in my yard because it seems the entire garden is smiling.

But they also thrive in a less welcoming environment like sidewalks.

It's starting to unwrap its beauty...

Its orange color is the most known color of the California poppy, but did you know that it can also appear in other colors? When you compare the following picture with the one on top you will notice that the color here is a bit lighter.

Let's take a different look - it's orange at the center and turns lighter toward the edge,

This pale yellow one turned up in my garden a few years ago and has made an appearance every year since.

I love the pink ones, called "dusky rose". Aren't they pretty?

My favorite California poppy beside the "normal" ones are the "copper pot" variety. I simply love their rich color.

I leave you with a collage of the 2019 California superbloom how we saw it - I wrote about it here.