California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
Appearance
The C.A. Poppy is found in many different bright colors such as: yellow, orange, purple, or white. This flower has four petals in all and the leaves on it's stem look very much similar to carrot leaves.The flowers receptacle is pink in color and is in the form of a small cup which contains it's nectar and pollen.
Habitat
This plant grows as a annual all over North America. They are found in the coast and foothills of California.It is found along the entire Western Coast of the U.S.A., as far north as Washington State and as far south as Mexico. The California Poppy is a native plant meaning it was always found in the U.S.A. mostly in C.A. hence the name.
Edibility
The California Poppy is edible because of it's petals and seeds. The Native Americans also cooked the seeds with hot rocks and their bold baskets. The Native Americans ate this plant in order to not suffer from starvation.
Medicinal Uses
The C.A. Poppy is used for medicine. The Native Americans used it when they had trouble sleeping, aches, or diseases of the bladder or liver and it is also used to promote relaxation.
Interesting Facts
The C.A. Poppy is drought tolerant and it can close up at night to protect it's large amount of rich pollen and the Latin and scientific name for the C.A. Poppy is Eschscholzia californica.
Did you know the C.A. Poppy can grow to 2 feet tall and that it mostly grows shorter because it depends on the amount of soil and water?
