Find Your Ask the Expert: What is this?
We moved into an already landscaped home a couple of years ago. I have always thought this was a thistle and pulled it, not thinking twice about it. This year it escaped me and this is what we have? It looks like a thistle but it is not prickly, the stems are “hairy” but soft. After it started blooming it shed it’s “pods”. The leaves look almost like crepe paper. They are truly beautiful if it is a thistle! Do you have any ideas? Suzie
Flower Shop Network Plant Expert Reply:
The plant you have is a type of a poppy. I believe it is an Oriental Poppy ( Papaver orientale “Allegro”), but just from a picture it is hard to tell which poppy it is. The Oriental Poppies are clump-forming perennials that spread and bloom late spring to mid-summer. It is very similar to the corn poppy or field poppy ( Papaver rhoeas) which happens to be the Memorial Day Flower.
Although similar in looks it is not a California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) which is the state flower of California.
This flower identification question was brought to you by the local Sacramento Florists
Thank you so much!