Poppies: California

Long before European explorers, Native American groups across California, such as the Nisenan, valued the plant, using it for food and medicine—treating everything from headaches to toothaches.

In the early 19th century, when Prussian explorer Adelbert von Chamisso docked in San Francisco Bay in 1816, he was struck by the hillsides blanketed in a "fiery golden glow," as described in a Facebook post by Nature Conservancy California . He gave the plant its scientific name, Eschscholzia californica , honoring his friend Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz, a surgeon and entomologist on their ship. California Poppies

These flowers are famous for creating "super blooms," often occurring once every 10 years, according to a Facebook post by Hunter Sowards . During these times, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Preserve is covered in an intense orange blanket, as shown on Facebook. These flowers are famous for creating "super blooms,"

They are hardy, drought-tolerant plants that thrive in poor, sandy soil and under full sun, according to The Spruce . In 1903, the poppy was officially named California’s

In 1903, the poppy was officially named California’s state flower, winning by a significant margin thanks to the advocacy of Sarah Plummer Lemmon.