Species of the Month

This month’s species of the month is the state flower of California, the California poppy. This flower is not found exclusively in California. It brightens roadsides all along the west coast. Its sunny orange color makes me think of summer sun, a fitting match for the first day of summer.

Scientific name: Eschscholzia californica

Kingdom: Plantae (plants)

Class:   Magnoliopsida (dicotelydons)

Order: Ranunculales (flowering basal eudicots)

Range: Baja California north to Washington, east from southern California to El Paso

Habitat: open areas with well-drained soil, grasslands, oak savannahs, deserts

Lifespan: may be annual or perennial, depending on local climate

Diet: sunlight and water

Predators: hoverflies, beetles

Conservation Status: no special protection

Other Information: A familiar sight along roadways in the far west. California poppies close their flowers at night and on cloudy days. These sunny flowers love sun! Flowers have four petals of bright orange to light yellow. It enjoys disturbed areas. Poppies growing in a mild winter climate are perennials and will grow back for several years. In cold winter climates, they are annuals and grow from seed every year.

This week's information comes from USDA, another USDA site, and US Forest Service. Pictures are from USDA.