California Poppy

California Poppy, the state flower of California, is a species native to the Pacific slope but has naturalized throughout the country.  In its native habitat it grows at elevations up to 7,000 feet.  California Poppy can grow as either an annual or a perennial.  In climates with mild winters individual plants will survive several years and reseed themselves. Where winters are cold the poppy behaves as an annual, renewing itself from seed each spring. The flowers of California poppy close each night and on cloudy days.   The cheerful orange blooms make it a striking garden flower but don’t pick it for a bouquet; the blooms will fall off almost immediately!  California Poppy is low-maintenance and does not need much if any supplemental water to survive, but it will bloom from Spring through the end of the Summer if watered regularly.  It is deer resistant and establishes readily and is a prolific seed producer.   Because of its ability to establish quickly on disturbed sites California Poppy is often used in reclamation work.