California Poppy Day
April 6 is California Poppy Day. My post today is all about celebrating California's state flower, the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), a golden wildflower that blooms in the spring and summer. The California poppy is native to the western region of the United States and blooms in the golden hues of orange, red, and yellow. It is a sun loving, drought tolerant, self seeding, fast growing, and pollinator friendly flower. So, in addition to being a pretty flower, it is a gardener's favorite because it is so very easy to grow.
During the 1890s, American botanist Sara Plummer Lemmon advocated for making this golden poppy the state flower for California. At that time, the three flowers that were contenders for this position were the California poppy, Matilija poppy, and the Mariposa lily. In 1890, the California State Floral Society selected the California poppy and Sara Plummer Lemmon wrote the bill that was passed by the State Legislature that made the California poppy the official state flower of California in 1903.
The California Department of Transportation posts highway signs of the California poppy on the welcome signs entering California and on scenic highway route signs throughout state.
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| California Highway Welcome Sign |
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| California Highway Scenic Sign |