Encountering an Eschscholzia Californica at Jasper Ridge Preserve

            On our walk on Saturday morning, April 7, 2018, at the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve in Woodside, California, I came across the vibrant California poppy, aka the Golden poppy, and officially known as Eschscholzia Californica. I was struck by its elegance and simplicity: the bright yellow flower stood out among the wild grass with its tall and slender stem and four perfect petals. The poppy reminded me of its cousin, the Papaver somniferum, also known as Opium poppy. I used to play with the bright red poppies as a child – manipulating the petals and turning the flower into red-skirted dolls. I had no idea then of the opium poppy’s potency.

While the California poppy looks identical to the red opium poppy, the former does not have the same level of alkaloids (chemicals that produce psychological affects on humans). The California poppy is milder than its red petal cousin and has been used as a form of holistic medicine in the treatment of muscle aches, abdominal cramping, and headaches. In fact, the flower has a long medicinal history: it was popular among Native Americans, who used the leaves to treat muscle aches and tooth pain. They also used the pollen from the flower in their cosmetics. Today, the flower can be purchased in liquid or dry form and used as medicinal tea for anxiety or restlessness. And of course, many of us have had treats with poppy seeds: they are popular throughout the world as flavoring and add a little extra pep to baked treats.

The entire plant is about 6-12 inches tall, and comes in a range of colors from pale yellow, to orange to cream, in the wild. It is considered to be the “perfect flower” because it contains both the male and female parts in each flower. Each poppy flower has multiple male stamens and multiple female carpels.

            Although the flower was first “discovered” by Dr. Johann Friedrich Eschscholtz along the Pacific Coast in 1815, it did not became California’s official state flower until April 6, 1903. Every year on April 6, all public schools are encouraged to teach students about the flower and other native plants; promote responsible behavior towards the environment; and emphasize the value of natural resources.

            Aside from being the state flower of California, the poppy also holds another special honor: it is featured on the back of the Canada’s twenty-dollar bill.

While the California poppy looks simple and elegant, it most definitely is a powerful flower – perhaps the only flower with its own state and currency!

Sara A.