California poppy
Eschscholzia californica
Golden bowls of color above finely divided, blue-green foliage. California’s state flower is an annual or perennial found across the state, from grassy hills to coastal bluffs.
- Family
- Papaveraceae
- Regional status
- Native
- Habitat
- Grasslands & open slopes
- Safety
- Not evaluated
A closer look.
The Presidio is the type locality for this species: the place from which the specimens used in its scientific description were collected. Its delicate-looking flowers belong to a plant with a substantial taproot. Observe without picking; flowering varies considerably with local conditions.
Compared with linked references on October 22, 2026. This is source verification, not independent expert review or an identification guarantee. Seasonal tags are approximate. Specimen maps show a selected historical subset.
Through the seasons
Spring is a useful starting point for observing blooms; coastal flowering can extend beyond spring. Timing varies by location and rainfall.
Knowledge has a context.
Historical accounts are presented as attributed records, not endorsed practices, medical advice, or permission to harvest.
The National Park Service records Ohlone and Pomo uses of California poppy. These are secondary historical accounts, not community-reviewed guidance or evidence of treatment efficacy. Details of medicinal preparation are withheld pending cultural and specialist review.
A record of where it was found.
Found throughout California in open habitats including grasslands, bluffs, dunes, and rocky slopes.
Grasslands & open slopes
Northern California · Central California · Southern California
Historical collections are evidence of recorded locations, not a continuous range, current presence, abundance, native status, or confirmed identification. Unmapped places are not evidence of absence.
What this map includes
From the first 300 results returned by the stored GBIF query, 36 specimens met the coordinate and reuse filters; 264 were excluded. The query matched 2,959 records at retrieval. This subset is not random or exhaustive.
Records are labeled California, have coordinates, and lack GBIF geospatial-issue flags. We exclude known coordinate uncertainty above 25 km and use only CC0 or CC BY 4.0 records. 26 included records do not report coordinate uncertainty. A 0.25° cell is about 28 km north to south; it does not show an exact collecting site.
Matched taxon: Eschscholzia californica ↗.
Inspect the stored query ↗ · Download the attributed snapshot ↓
Data publishers & selected records
Dataset citations apply to the contributing specimens. The snapshot retains record IDs, original ownership, and reuse licenses; coordinates are generalized to a quarter-degree grid.
- MACF - MacFadden Herbarium, California State University Fullerton ↗
California State University, Fullerton (2026). MACF - MacFadden Herbarium, California State University Fullerton. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/1uvzxh accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-26.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode · accessed October 26, 2026
- Louisiana State University, Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium - Vascular Plants ↗
Louisiana State University Herbarium (2026). Louisiana State University, Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium - Vascular Plants. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/xxoo68 accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-26.
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode · accessed October 26, 2026
- UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium ↗
Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (2026). UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/qpxmw0 accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-26.
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode · accessed October 26, 2026
- Idaho State University, Ray J. Davis Herbarium Vascular Plants ↗
Williams R (2026). Idaho State University, Ray J. Davis Herbarium Vascular Plants. Version 1.43. Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/p5554y accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-26.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode · accessed October 26, 2026
- Tropicos MO Specimen Data ↗
Teisher J, Stimmel H (2026). Tropicos MO Specimen Data. Missouri Botanical Garden. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/hja69f accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-26.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode · accessed October 26, 2026
- NMNH Extant Specimen Records (USNM, US) ↗
Orrell T, Informatics and Data Science Center - Digital Stewardship (2026). NMNH Extant Specimen Records (USNM, US). Version 1.113. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/hnhrg3 accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-26.
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode · accessed October 26, 2026
- Tropicos Specimens Non-MO ↗
Teisher J, Stimmel H (2026). Tropicos Specimens Non-MO. Version 1.122. Missouri Botanical Garden. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/rxbp4w accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-26.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode · accessed October 26, 2026
- Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium ↗
Arizona State University Biocollections (2026). Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/a2o8vy accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-26.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode · accessed October 26, 2026
- Deaver Herbarium (Northern Arizona University) ↗
Northern Arizona University (2026). Deaver Herbarium (Northern Arizona University). Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/b7tfpa accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-26.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode · accessed October 26, 2026
- CAS Botany (BOT) ↗
Magnaghi E, Fong J (2026). CAS Botany (BOT). Version 157.669. California Academy of Sciences. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/7gudyo accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-26.
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode · accessed October 26, 2026
- University of Montana Herbarium ↗
Giblin D (2026). University of Montana Herbarium. Version 1.44. Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/dm598q accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-10-26.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode · accessed October 26, 2026
View 36 included specimen records
- GBIF 5900695477 ↗ · 2025UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · Ellen Dean; R. Burgess, M. Schenker, S. McLean · License
- GBIF 5053439564 ↗ · 2024UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · Katja Seltmann; Helen Payne, Nathalie Bonnet, Jorge De la Cruz · License
- GBIF 5208943455 ↗ · 2023UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · Michael P Williams · License
- GBIF 4146087301 ↗ · 2023Deaver Herbarium (Northern Arizona University) · G. Goodwin · Deaver Herbarium · License
- GBIF 4146089302 ↗ · 2023Deaver Herbarium (Northern Arizona University) · G. Goodwin · Deaver Herbarium · License
- GBIF 4423023363 ↗ · 2023CAS Botany (BOT) · Batiuk, Scott · License
- GBIF 4146091306 ↗ · 2023Deaver Herbarium (Northern Arizona University) · G. Goodwin · Deaver Herbarium · License
- GBIF 4608088841 ↗ · 2023UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · Andy Lanes; John Knapp · License
- GBIF 4929357318 ↗ · 2023MACF - MacFadden Herbarium, California State University Fullerton · Mellifera R. Letterman · License
- GBIF 4608090653 ↗ · 2022UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · Christopher M. Berry · License
- GBIF 3798616309 ↗ · 2022CAS Botany (BOT) · Batiuk, Scott J. · License
- GBIF 4041103336 ↗ · 2022NMNH Extant Specimen Records (USNM, US) · M. Wang & H. Collins · License
- GBIF 3395962318 ↗ · 2021UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · Katja C. Seltmann; Charles N. Thrift · License
- GBIF 3395962319 ↗ · 2021UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · Katja C. Seltmann; Charles N. Thrift · License
- GBIF 3128960324 ↗ · 2021Tropicos Specimens Non-MO · Gregory A. Wahlert · Missouri Botanical Garden · License
- GBIF 3758965368 ↗ · 2021UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · Gregory A. Wahlert · License
- GBIF 4031424416 ↗ · 2021Tropicos MO Specimen Data · Gregory A. Wahlert · Missouri Botanical Garden · License
- GBIF 3909214498 ↗ · 2020CAS Botany (BOT) · Magnaghi, Emily B.; Starman, David J. · License
- GBIF 3120778379 ↗ · 2019Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium · Marc A. Baker; Michelle Cloud-Hughes; Emily Thoe; Dave Kesonie · License
- GBIF 4948738732 ↗ · 2019Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium · Marc A. Baker; Michelle Cloud-Hughes, Emily Thorn, Dave Kesonie · License
- GBIF 4948741220 ↗ · 2019Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium · Marc A. Baker; Michelle Cloud-Hughes, Dave Kesonie, & Richard Crawford · License
- GBIF 3125288591 ↗ · 2019UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · E. Balderas · License
- GBIF 3125288593 ↗ · 2019UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · E. Balderas · License
- GBIF 3799495126 ↗ · 2019UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · David Keil; R. Kenny, J. Yost, M. Ritter, and other Phytojog participants · License
- GBIF 5207032304 ↗ · 2019NMNH Extant Specimen Records (USNM, US) · I. Cunningham · License
- GBIF 2974106630 ↗ · 2018UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · Carina I. Motta; C. L. Cunningham · License
- GBIF 2610058930 ↗ · 2018UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · M Greenlief; H. Faiz · License
- GBIF 4073715381 ↗ · 2018Idaho State University, Ray J. Davis Herbarium Vascular Plants · Richard R. Halse · Idaho State University, Ray J. Davis Herbarium · License
- GBIF 6171607466 ↗ · 2018University of Montana Herbarium · Richard R. Halse · University of Montana · License
- GBIF 1884022332 ↗ · 2018CAS Botany (BOT) · Shevock, James R. · License
- GBIF 2974106941 ↗ · 2018UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · Carina I. Motta · License
- GBIF 4010649332 ↗ · 2018Louisiana State University, Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium - Vascular Plants · Luis Y. Santiago-Rosario; Juan A. Santiago Rosario · License
- GBIF 2821375506 ↗ · 2017UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · JAcob Little · License
- GBIF 2270249871 ↗ · 2017UCSB - University of California Santa Barbara Herbarium · Carina I. Motta; G. A. Wahlert · License
- GBIF 4073702370 ↗ · 2016Idaho State University, Ray J. Davis Herbarium Vascular Plants · Robert E. McCoy, Chris McCoy · Idaho State University, Ray J. Davis Herbarium · License
- GBIF 4073736457 ↗ · 2016Idaho State University, Ray J. Davis Herbarium Vascular Plants · Robert E. McCoy, Chris McCoy · Idaho State University, Ray J. Davis Herbarium · License
Darker = more included records, not abundance
Boundary: US Census Bureau TIGERweb ↗ · locations generalized to 0.25° cells
Trace the record.
References are attached to specific parts of this record. A citation is a route to evidence; it is not a claim that every field has completed review.
- 01California Poppy — Presidio of San Francisco ↗
National Park Service
Supports: Description, California range, and historical accounts; not evidence of medical efficacy.
- 02GBIF occurrence records & citation guidance ↗
GBIF Secretariat and contributing data publishers
Supports: Specimen occurrence snapshot. Each contributing dataset, DOI where available, record identifier, and license is retained in the downloadable map data.
- 03TIGERweb — States and Counties ↗
US Census Bureau
Supports: Generalized California state outline only; does not imply a species distribution.