Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Eschscholzia lobbii is a species of poppy known by the common name frying pans. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the Central Valley and adjacent Sierra Nevada foothills. Frying pans is a small annual herb growing from a patch of segmented leaves with pointed leaflets. It produces erect stalks up to 15 centimeters in height each bearing a single poppy flower. The petals are about a centimeter long and bright yellow to somewhat orange. The fruit is a capsule 3 to 7 centimeters long containing tiny brown seeds. The plant is named after William Lobb (1809 - 1864), the English plant collector.

Though not used as often as California Poppy (E. californica), this one would be a great choice for Central Valley gardens. Its best use is in a meadow-like patch of annual wildflowers.

Plant type

Annual herb

Size

2 - 6 in Tall
6 in Wide

Calscape icon
Color

Yellow

Flowering season

Spring

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Very Low

Summer irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Ease of care

Moderate

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil drainage

Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil description

Adaptable.

Propagation

By seed

Sunset Zones

7*, 8*, 9*, 11, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Site type

Grasslands and open places

Plant communities

Valley Grassland

Works very will with blue, pink or purple flowered annuals such as Bird's Eye Gilia (Gilia tricolor), Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii), Owl's Clover (Castilleja exserta), Clarkia spp., Lupine (Lupinus spp.), Phacelia, and Sidalcea, or geophytes such as Allium, Brodiaea, Calochortus, Dichelostemma and Fritillaria. Also good with low-growing forms of perennials such as Ceanothus and Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.)

Birds
Bees
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 2 likely

Confirmed Likely

Neoterpes edwardsata

Ni Moth

Trichoplusia ni