The plant is endemic to the Channel Islands of California off the Southern California coast (United States), and to Guadalupe Island off the western coast of Baja California state (Mexico).

Eschscholzia ramosa is an annual wildflower growing from a clump of foliage made up of segmented leaves with divided, rounded leaflets.

The erect stalks grow up to 30 centimeters tall.

They bear poppy flowers with yellow petals one half to two centimeters long, often with orange spots near the bases.

The fruit is a capsule 4 to 7 centimeters long containing tiny netted brown seeds.