How Do California Poppies Reproduce?

Flamboyant displays of bright orange, cup-shaped California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) carpet hillsides in the American Southwest during good wildflower years. These annual plants grow anew from seed each year. They are used as garden plants around the world, and there are cultivars with cream, yellow, pink, and red flowers, and "Mission Bells" has double and semi-double flowers.

Natural Populations

California poppy grows wild in the western United States from southern Washington south to Baja California and east to the Great Basin. It has naturalized into many other areas. Plants grow in cool moist weather following winter and spring rains, with best blooms occurring when rains start in fall and continue every few weeks into spring. Flowering starts as early as February and can continue into May, depending on the location. Although normally an annual, in favorable areas California poppy can behave as a short-lived perennial.


Four satiny petals frame a central stamen cluster surrounding the pistil. Abundant pollen attracts native bees, which are the main pollinators, such as bumblebees, sweat bees, and mining bees. Introduced honey bees are regular visitors. Other pollen-collectors are beetles, flies, butterflies and thrips. As insects transfer pollen between flowers, pollen lands on the pistil and seeds begin to form in the central ovary.


Soon after pollination, the petals and stamens fall off, leaving the central cylindrical pointed seed capsule. It elongates as it fills with seed, turning from green to tan with maturity. Pods open explosively, splitting longitudinally and ejecting the seeds up to 6 feet away from the mother plant. Seeds are small, round, and black or gray. To collect seeds, harvest the pods just as they are turning color. Store seeds in paper envelopes in a cool, dry, dark place. Seed viability drops 50 percent in 5 years of storage. Plants reseed themselves in the wild and in favorable spots.

Seed Germination

In nature, seeds with various levels of dormancy are present, so not all seeds will germinate at one time. This leaves a reservoir of seeds in the soil that can grow in subsequent years. Seeds germinate in cool moist conditions, and dormant seeds need repeated washing with rains to remove germination inhibitors from the seed coat. California poppy is adaptable to many soil types and terrain as long as there is good drainage, germinating even in poor soils.

Growing California Poppy

In gardens and landscapes, sow California poppy seed directly into the spot they will grow in, since plants don't tolerate transplanting. Rake or till the soil first, and mix the fine seeds with equal volumes of sand for more even broadcasting if desired. Water the planted area thoroughly with a fine spray, keeping soil moist until germination occurs. Sow seeds in the fall in mild-winter areas and in the spring in temperate climates. In garden situations with supplemental watering, California poppies can bloom into fall in mild climates.