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Papaveraceae
Mexican Gold Poppy
Eschscholzia californica subsp. mexicana
Desert gold and ephemeral treasure.
- Family
- Papaveraceae
- Genus
- Eschscholzia
- Native to
- Mexico, southwestern United States
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- annual or short-lived perennial
- Height
- 15–30 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- sandy, well-drained; poor soil preferred
- Water
- very low; drought-adapted
- Hardiness
- 6–10
- Lifespan
- annual; self-sows
Did you know
- In exceptional rain years, Mexican gold poppies carpet entire desert hillsides in sheets of vivid orange.
- The flowers close each night and on cloudy days, reopening only when the sun shines directly on them.
- Closely related to the California poppy, it is slightly smaller and more delicate with thinner petals.
- Seeds can remain dormant in desert soil for years, waiting for exactly the right rainfall to germinate.
- Spanish explorers reportedly called California's coast 'the land of fire' after seeing hillsides ablaze with golden poppies.
Color meanings
Golden Yellow
fleeting desert riches
Orange
sun-drenched joy