California Poppy

California Poppy Eschscholzia californica

What is the plant

Eschscholzia californica is a species of flowering plant in the Papaveraceae family, native to the United States and Mexico. It is an ornamental plant flowering with showy cup-shaped flowers in brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow.

The California poppy is a study in contrasts. The plants are vigorous, and often grow in vacant lots and roadsides with no tending. However, upon picking, you will discover that their beauty is fleeting, as the petals fall to the ground before you can even get the plants to a vase. A fast growing annual or tender perennial, California poppies are at their peak in the spring, but may bloom for gardeners in areas with cool summers over longer periods. The cheerful flowers seem to spring up overnight, blanketing large areas with bright orange, pink, or gold silky petals. Grow California poppies in abundance to fill gaps in your spring flowerbeds, untended wildflower meadows, or containers. Like most native wildflowers, California poppies are easy to care for and maintain. The key is providing them with growing conditions that mimic their native habitat. Invasive in California and Chile.

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Humidity

Normal

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

18°C - 24°C

Hardiness zone

min 8a

Difficulty

Easy

Invasive

Weed

Water
California poppies require very little water, and are good candidates for drought tolerant xeriscapes. Sporadic spring rainfall is adequate to irrigate the plants. In areas with hot summers, plants will often go dormant and need no additional irrigation during this time.
Sunlight
California poppies require a day of full sunlight to bloom and maintain plant vigor. Six hours of unfiltered sunlight is essential for poppy growth, and more is even better. California poppies that grow in shady spots will look ratty and succumb to fungal diseases.
Fertilizer
No fertilizer is necessary to successfully grow California poppies, even in areas with poor soil. The addition of chemical fertilizers will cause excess foliage growth at the expense of blooms.

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Soil
The ability of California poppies to grow in areas with poor soil gives them an edge on survival: whereas other plants that need rich loamy soil full of nutrients might flounder in depleted soils, California poppies move in to fill this niche. Sandy soils and rocky soils both provide good conditions for California poppies. What doesn't work is heavy clay soils. California poppies need great drainage for their tap roots, so if your soil is clay, try raised beds or container culture.
Temperature
The warming of the soil in the spring, combined with moisture from spring rains, will trigger germination of California poppy seeds. As long as temperatures remain mild, between 50 and 75°F, California poppies will continue to grow. In areas with hot summers, California poppy plants will become dormant. However, when cool fall temperatures return, plants will regrow and re-bloom from their tap roots.
Popularity
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