California Poppy

California Poppy

Eschscholzia californica

(es-SHOLT-zee-uh) (kal-ih-FOR-nik-uh)

This is a favorite little flower of mine. You don’t see them too often in these parts so when I see their sunny little faces it is always a treat. It would have to be considered an annual here but it reseeds with abandon and can winter over in milder climates. There are several cultivars in different colors available but I have found the orange are the easiest to grow.

After much rumination we have decided to cut down the English Hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) tree at work. It has sustained multiple damage in recent storms and just isn’t pretty anymore. Since it only had a narrow shady area to grow in the tree has not been attractive for many years now. It predates my 26 year tenure at the estate and while I feel bad about cutting it down I won’t feel bad about not having to pick up the sticks from it after the storms. It is armed with some of the most vicious thorns of any plant in this area. That will make cutting it down a little interesting as will its proximity to the house.