Description
Benefits of California Poppies
- Drought tolerant wildflower
- Can be grown in poor, sandy soil
- Attracts bees and butterflies
- Provides food for wildlife, such as birds and rabbits
- Prolific self seeding plant
- Provides coverage for bare, rocky soil, preventing erosion and helping to increase rain infiltration
Description
California poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are annual flowering plants that feature grayish-green feathery foliage. The plants grow up to about 18 inches tall and from 12 to 18 inches wide.
The flowers range from bright yellow to deep orange, although there are varieties that have mutated into creams and pinks. The flowers rise about 8 to 12 inches above the foliage and their silky petals can measure around 3 inches across.
California poppy blooms will close at night and during cloudy days, which certainly adds interest to any wildlife garden.
Tips for Growing California Poppies
Choose a spot for your poppies that has full sun, excellent drainage, and has not been amended. California poppies prefer dry, sandy soil that is low in nutrients.
Once soil temperatures have reached 60 degrees and all risk of frost has passed, sow directly into a damp garden bed. Press seeds down to increase contact with the soil and mist carefully to avoid displacing the seeds. Mist regularly until germination occurs but do not overwater.
Seeds will germinate in about 14 to 21 days. Once true leaves appear, thin seedlings to 6 to 8 inches apart to reduce competition.
Plants will reach maturity and begin to flower at about 60 to 75 days. However, poppies are sensitive to heat and may stop growing if temperatures exceed 85 degrees until temperatures cool down.
Deadhead spent blooms to increase blossoming but note that you will need to allow seedheads to form for them to self-seed for the next year.
Not suitable for cutting, as California poppies have little to no vase life.
California Poppy Details:
- Life span: Annual, self-seeds
- Color scheme: orange and yellow
- Height: 1 to 1.5 feet
- Time to Germinate: 14-21 days
- Time to maturity: 8-10 weeks
Terms of Sale
Sold by weight — you will receive a minimum of 500 mg of seed, about 250 seeds, shipped free from Florida via regular USPS First Class Mail to U.S. mailing addresses only.
Refund/Replace/Return Policy
Our policy is to replace or refund any missing or damaged packages, so please contact us directly if you have any problems with your order.
We want happy gardeners and strive to provide a stress-free seed purchase.
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