Pharm Harvest: California Poppy

On our farm, California Poppy harvests begin on bright, calm spring mornings. A digger loosens the roots of these vibrant, sunny yellow-orange plants, then our farm crew and interns gently pull them from the soil, gathering them one armful at a time.

We pile the plants high in a wagon and head to the barn to wash them. The entire flowering plant then dries on screens. From there, California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) will go to our laboratory to be tested, then to our production facility to be extracted.

Though California Poppy is generally grown as a perennial in temperate climates, here at Herb Pharm, we grow it as an annual. These fields are amazing to see when they’re in full bloom, with row after row of knee-high flowers.