California poppy

American

noun

a plant, Eschscholtzia californica, of the poppy family, having feathery bluish foliage and showy, orange-yellow flowers: the state flower of California.

California poppy British

noun

Also called: eschscholzia. eschscholtzia. a papaveraceous plant, Eschscholtzia californica, of the Pacific coast of North America, having yellow or orange flowers and finely divided bluish-green leaves

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of California poppy

An Americanism dating back to 1890–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

California poppy

After the Eaton fire, Altadena resident René Amy planted a quarter billion California poppy seeds across more than 750 properties in the area.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 17, 2026

In parallel, Werner plans to monitor how key plants, including Gary oak, buckbrush, California poppy, and yarrow, respond to different planting densities on nearly 100 plots.

From Science Magazine ● Oct. 18, 2023

In the Bay Area, it was the California poppy.

From New York Times ● May 15, 2023

This feels strange and incorrect, because in California, it is California poppy season.

From Slate ● Apr. 3, 2023

Some familiar examples of hardy annuals are sweet alyssum, ageratum, calendula, calliopsis, candytuft, Centaurea Cyanus, clarkia, larkspur, gilia, California poppy, morning-glory, marigold, mignonette, nemophila, pansy, phlox, pinks, poppies, portulaca, zinnia, sweet pea, scabiosa.

From Manual of Gardening (Second Edition) by Bailey, L. H. (Liberty Hyde)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023