Our state flower is one of California's most beautiful and characteristic wildflowers. In good years, grasslands wear a solid golden mantle of poppy flowers. This poppy has the curious habit of changing flower size with the season; flowers dwindle in brilliance and size as days lengthen, possibly a signal to changing pollinators.

Like many of its sisters, California poppy contains opiates, and the root was said to be used by the California Native Americans for numbing toothaches. California poppy is one of the easiest wildflowers to grow in gardens, and it is available as seed from local nurseries. Plant during rains, and your poppies will flourish and renew themselves thereafter. Their efficiency at this proces is due partly to the explosive seed pods.