Information about the official state flower of California,
Eschsholtzia californica, a flowering plant more commonly
known as the California Poppy,
From the California State Library: The California Poppy
California Indians cherished the poppy as both a
source of food and for oil extracted from the plant.
Its botanical name, Eschsholtzia californica, was given
by Adelbert Von Chamisso, a naturalist and member of the
Prussian Academy of Sciences, who dropped anchor in
San Francisco in 1816 in a bay surrounded by hills of
the golden flowers. Also sometimes known as the flame
flower, la amapola, and copa de oro (cup of gold), the
poppy grows wild throughout California. It became the
state flower in 1903. Every year April 6 is California
Poppy Day, and Governor Wilson proclaimed May 13-18,
1996, Poppy Week.
The Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve
The California Poppy Festival
Wikipedia Introduction to the California Poppy
About California
Destinations in California
California for Visitors
