Illustration
Yellow California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
Yellow California Poppy blooms from May through August.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Yellow California Poppy
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 6–10. Expect it to reach about 12 in tall and 8 in wide at maturity, in roughly 1 year (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Yellow California Poppy
Yellow California Poppy is a cool-season annual: plant it out in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked, a few weeks before the last frost, since it takes light frost and fades in summer heat; in mild-winter zones it also goes in during fall. In zone 8, the middle of its hardy zones 6 to 10, that means February or March. It flowers from May to August.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 8, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 8 in February. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Yellow California Poppy get?
12 intall5 ft 7 inan adult8 inwideSee Yellow California Poppy in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Yellow California Poppy
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Yellow California Poppy about 8 in apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Yellow California Poppy to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Yellow California Poppy's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 10 published sources on July 29, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionPlant Toolboxheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- calscape.orgCalscape (California Native Plant Society)height, spread, sun and trait tags
- depts.washington.eduUniversity of Washington Plant Data Sheetheight, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- Missouri Botanical GardenPlant Finderheight, spread, hardiness zones and sun
- theodorepayne.orgTheodore Payne Foundation Native Plant Databaseheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Centerheight, sun and trait tags
- extension.oregonstate.eduOregon State University Extension Service (EM 9491)height and trait tags
- Johnny's Selected Seedsheight and trait tags
- University of Florida IFASGardening Solutionsheight and trait tags
- gardens.duke.eduDuke Gardens (Duke University)hardiness zones
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Yellow California Poppy
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Only mildly toxic and low risk. Concentrated herbal products can cause mild nausea; a Wildflower Center expert found no listing as poisonous to dogs. per Poison Control and Wildflower Center
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.