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Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Papaver californicum (Fire poppy)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Papaver californicum Gray

Fire Poppy, Western poppy

Papaveraceae (Poppy Family)

USDA Symbol: paca9

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A single bowl-shaped flower at top of each stem has 4 fan-shaped, reddish-orange petals with greenish spot at base; before the flowers open, the buds droop.

Opium is extracted from the sap of an Old World poppy species, once commonly (and innocently) grown in gardens and still found scattered in the country.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Annual
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit:

Bloom Information

Bloom Time: Apr , May

Distribution

USA: CA
Native Distribution: The Coast Ranges from San Francisco Bay to southern California; not common in the northern half of the range.
Native Habitat: Open brush and woods, especially after fires.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Papaver californicum in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Papaver californicum in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Papaver californicum

Metadata

Record Modified: 2007-01-01
Research By: TWC Staff

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