Eschscholzia lemmonii subsp. lemmonii

Family: Papaveraceae · Type: annual · Native

Lemmon's poppy is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada foothills, western Tehachapi, eastern and south-central Coast Ranges in open grasslands and chaparral at elevations of 200 to 1,000 meters. Flowering from March to May, this delicate plant produces nodding flower buds with generally hairy surfaces. Growing with spreading or erect stems, it forms loose, graceful clusters in calcareous soils. Its leaves and overall structure complement the landscape with a light, airy quality characteristic of California poppies. The plant's elliptic seeds contribute to its subtle ecological role in grassland and chaparral ecosystems.

Habitat: Open grassland, chaparral, generally in loose, calcareous soils

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 200-1000 m

Bioregions: s-most SNF, w Teh, e SCoRO, SCoRI.

California counties: Kern, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Ventura, Fresno, Merced

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.