California Poppy Flower Plant

Facts about California Poppy Flower (Plant), "Scientific name for California Poppy is Eschscholzia Californica". The California Poppy Flower (Plant) falls under the category of Perennials. California Poppy Flower is a flowering plant variety that belongs to the genus Eschscholzia of the Papaveraceae family. California Poppy Flower (Plant) is native to Mexico and the United States. The flower of the California Poppy plant is the official flower of the State of California. At the climax of the flowering season, the orange color petals of the flower of the California Poppy Flower (Plant) appear to cover all the 1,745-acre (706-hectare) area of the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, where these plants are largely found. Other well-known locations of California Poppy Flower (Plant) fields are in Bear Valley in the Colusa County in California, Point Buchon and many other locations. The native habitat of the California Poppy Flower (Plant) includes California, expanding to Washington, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Sonora and the northwest parts of Baja California.

Features of California Poppy Flower (Plant)

California Poppy Flower (Plant) is an annual or a perennial growing flowering plant that is capable of growing to a maximum height between 5 inches to 60 inches (13 cm to 152 cm), with varying branching Glaucous blue-green colored foliage.

The leaves of the California Poppy Flower (Plant) plant are ternately alienated into circular, lobed sections. The leaves of the plant grow with the maximum length, ranging from 3/4 to 4 inches (1.8 cm to 10 cm) that are divided into fine segments on elongated stalks.

The California Poppy Flower (Plant) starts offering flowers from February month and continues offering up to the September month. The flowers of the plant are lonely on elongated stems, shiny-textured. Each flower includes four petals, with the length of each petal ranges from 5/64 to 2 23/64 inches (2 cm to 6 cm) long and they are broad. The color of the flowers varies from yellow to orange. The petals of the flowers close during the cold season or during the night hours, windy climate and they will again open the next morning, even though they may continue to close in cloudy weather conditions.

The fruits of the California Poppy Flower (Plant) are slender, and are dehiscent capsule, with the length that ranges from 1 1/8 to 3 1/2 inches (3 cm to 9 cm), which divides in two to discharge the numerous tiny black or dark tan color seeds. The plant survives gentle winters in its native collection, dying entirely during colder types of weather.

Uses of California Poppy Flower (Plant)

In the past, the leaves of the California Poppy Flower (Plant) were used by Native Americans to prepare different medicines. Its pollen was employed to prepare cosmetics and the seeds of plant are currently used in cooking.

An aqueous extract of the California Poppy Flower (Plant) has the tranquilizer and anxiolytic action. This extract functions as a gentle tranquilizer when smoked. The result is far gentler than that of the opium. The plant includes a different category of alkaloids, as well. The California Poppy plant’s alcohol extract has been assessed for benzodiazepine, antidepressant, neuroleptic, analgesic and antihistaminic properties.

As the authorized as the state flower of the California, the California Poppy Flower (Plant) is portrayed in welcome symbols along highways, entering the California State and authorized Scenic Route symbols. The flower of the plant was chosen as the state flower by the Floral Society of the California State during December 1890, captivating over the Matilija poppy and the Mariposa lily by an extensive margin. The golden flowers of the California Poppy Flower (Plant) were considered a fitting sign for the Golden State.