Back Up For Poppy Day

California’s state flower has its own day, April 6. But climate change doesn’t abide by what’s law in the Golden State.

Eschscholzia californica and more at Antelope Valley Park (3/28/09). Photo: Dan Pierce.

In the land of propositions, California,  April 6 is Poppy Day, a celebration of the state flower by legislative decree (1973).

Californians, understandably, cleave to their state flower with more ardor than Kentuckians do to goldenrod or Massachusetts-ites do to Trailing Arbutus.  Eschscholzia befits “the Golden State” and from we can tell, abounds in many parts of this huge, and climatologically diverse part of the world.

There’s even a 1700 acre state park—Antelope Valley California Poppy State Reserve – with optimal conditions, environmental protection, and seven miles of trails through poppy fields. Terrific (though past its peak, we understand). Could it be that with global warming, spring’s Poppy Day will need to “fall back” by a week or so? Consider also the findings of Conservation International: that “the California floristic province is today only a quarter of its original extent, due to commercial farming and (sub)urbanization.”

This we learned from the University of British Columbia’s dazzling Botany Photo of the Day. Daniel Mosquin got a jump on Poppy Day by featuring Eschscholzia californica on April 3. Don’t miss the links to Eric’s glorious photos of the bloom along California 140, near the entrance to Yosemite.

Bluebonnet Belles. Painting by Lu Ann Barrow.

With gas prices lower this spring, wildflower enthusiasts may be taking to the highways. We did on Friday, and saw acres of bluebonnets and primrose in bloom, with Indian paintbrush and prickly poppy coming on.

There are aids to rubbernecking from several states, several sources. The Arkansas Department of Highways offers handy online maps of maxima wildflowers sightings.

Arkansas boasts of its best roadside wildflowers. Map: Arkansas Highways.

So does TX DOT (rather slow loading today, a good indicaltion of splendor).

In California, you can find wildflower reports here, and Dan Pierce has a whole site dedicated to Antelope Valley. Our very favorite, though, is Carol Leigh’s California Wildflower Hotsheet. Well named, it offers loads of comparative detail, outpourings of disappointment, parking instructions, and even critique from the Golden State’s wildflower connoisseurs.

Please, readers, append your own favorite links to state wildflower maps and advisories as spring makes them news.