Eschscholzia californica, known as the California poppy, is a member of the Papaveraceae family, native to the western United States and Mexico. This tender perennial, the state flower of California, features brilliant orange petals that open in bright sunlight and close at night or during overcast conditions. Its blue-green leaves and flowers, measuring 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) wide, are often used in botanical formulations, brewed as a tea, or prepared as a tincture.
Historically, Native Americans in California valued the California poppy as a food source and for its extractable oil. The dried aerial parts are commonly used in tinctures or infusions and are often combined with other herbs such as birthwort, night-blooming cereus, kava, lavender, passionflower, St. John’s wort, or valerian.
