What is California Poppy?

California Poppy is the dried whole plant of Eschscholzia californica, the bright orange-flowered annual that has been the official state flower of California since 1903. It belongs to the poppy family (Papaveraceae).

About the plant

The plant grows in grasslands and open ground across California and the western United States, producing cup-shaped orange or yellow flowers over finely divided blue-green foliage. It has a long documented history of traditional use among the Native peoples of California. Although it is a true poppy, it is botanically and chemically distinct from the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum): it sits in a different genus and contains isoquinoline alkaloids such as californidine, eschscholtzine, and protopine rather than the opiate alkaloids of the opium poppy.

Related herbs

• California Poppy Tincture — the same plant as an alcohol-based liquid extract.

California Poppy: form & sizes

We carry California Poppy as organic cut and sifted dried aerial parts, sold by weight in sizes from 1 oz to 1 lb. We make no health or therapeutic claims.

Storage

Store California Poppy in an airtight container, away from heat, light, and humidity, to preserve its color and aroma.

California Poppy at a glance

Botanical name

Eschscholzia californica

Family

Papaveraceae

Native region

California, the western United States, and northern Mexico

Plant part

aerial parts

Sourcing

Organic

State symbol

Official state flower of California (1903)

Distinct from

Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), a different genus

Form

cut and sifted dried aerial parts

Sizes

1 oz to 1 lb