How to Grow California Poppy

Eschscholzia Germination Information

Eschscholzia is the botanical name for California Poppy
Eschscholzia Seed Germination How to Sow Eschscholzia :
  • Best sown outdoors in early spring or fall at a depth 4 times the size of the seed
  • Time from sowing to flowering is 45-60 days
  • Plants do not transplant well and can be sown indoors only if they are transplanted very carefully
  • When sowing indoors, keep temperature at 55-60° and at a depth of 4 times the size of the seed
  • Outdoors, seeds will germinate in 10-12 days
  • When sowing seed outdoors, we recommend a maximum planting depth of 4X the width of the seed

How to Grow Eschscholzia:
Transplanting: Transplant when there are at least two sets of true leaves

Soil: Plant thrives in thrive in low-fertility, sandy soils

Lighting: Needs nothing more than full sun

Additional Care: Deadhead the flowers to keep the plants in continuous flower from summer to frost
Appearance and Use:

A West Coast native wildflower, California Poppy will brighten any border, rock garden, or container, be it a window box or tub. Also useful for naturalizing, it likes it best when sown directly outdoors. The 1- to 2- foot tall mounds of finely cut, silver-gray foliage are but a backdrop to showy flowers with a chiffon-like texture to their petals. Flowers are 2-3 inches, saucershaped, and are either single, double, or semi-double. They range a multitude of colors: gold, yellow, bronze, orange, scarlet, rose, or white. The flowers close at nightfall and throughout the day they are phototropic: they follow the sun across the sky


About Eschscholzia:
Pronunciation:  e-sholt’se-å kal-i-forn’i-cå
Lifecycle:  Annual
Origination: Papaveraceae, native from California to Oregon
Common Name: California Poppy