Eschscholzia mexicana

Desert california poppy

Family: Papaveraceae · Type: annual · Native

Desert california poppy is a native annual found in desert washes, flats, and slopes throughout desert regions at elevations below 2,500 meters. Flowering from January to May, this plant produces vibrant yellow flowers with orange bases, typically 10 to 20 millimeters wide, held on individual stems each subtended by a leaf. Growing erect or spreading to 5 to 60 centimeters tall, it forms a glabrous plant with a delicate, sometimes glaucous appearance. Its leaves are divided into segments that can be either obtuse or acute, with basal and stem-based foliage creating a soft, feathery texture. The fruit develops into elongated capsules 3 to 9 centimeters long, containing small brown to black seeds with a distinctive net-ridged surface.

Habitat: Desert washes, flats, slopes

Bloom period: Jan-May

Elevation: < 2500 m

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