Eschscholzia californica
California poppy
Common names: Golden poppy, California gold poppy, Cup of gold, Sleepy cap
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 5 l
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Flowering
- Jun–Sep
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below −5 °C
- Water need
- Low
This description was machine-translated.
Description
The California poppy, botanically Eschscholzia californica, grows in its native range in western North America on sunny, barren slopes and is the state flower of California. The plants reach 20 to 40 cm in height and bear finely divided, blue-green foliage. From June to September, cup-shaped flowers appear above the leaves in bright orange and yellow, and in cultivated varieties also in red, pink, white, or cream. The flowers open only in sunshine and close in the evening and in overcast weather. The sepals initially form a pointed cap, which is shed when the flower opens, which is the origin of the German names Kappenmohn and Schlafmützchen. In the garden, the California poppy suits rock gardens, gravel beds, wildflower meadows, roadsides, and containers. It self-seeds abundantly and appears in new places year after year, which many people appreciate while others find it somewhat of a nuisance over time.
Care instructions
The California poppy prefers full sun and lean, well-drained soil. Sow it directly where it is meant to flower, because its taproot does not tolerate transplanting. Thin seedlings to about 20 cm apart. Water only while the plants are establishing, and later during long dry periods. On wet or rich soil it grows tall, topples over, and flowers poorly, so no fertilizer is needed. Remove spent flowers regularly, and it will keep forming new buds into autumn. If you let a few seed pods ripen, it will self-seed. Where it grows too dense or in the wrong spot in spring, simply pull out the unwanted seedlings. Flowers stay closed on overcast days, which is normal.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–May, Sep
FloweringJun–Sep
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 8 °C, ideally 18 °C
- Days to sprout
- 7 to 14 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
lean, sandy, well-drained, dry
California poppy thrives best on poor, free-draining, sandy soil and copes well with dry sites. The pH can range from slightly acidic to alkaline. In nutrient-rich, moist soil it grows long, becomes soft and flowers markedly less. On heavy soils, mix in plenty of sand or gravel and loosen the soil deeply so the taproot has room. In a container, use free-draining compost thinned with sand.
Feeding
Light feeder
California poppy needs no fertiliser. It comes from barren slopes, and any additional dose of nutrients makes the shoots long and soft and reduces the abundance of flowers. In a container, too, fresh, low-nutrient compost is enough, without any need to feed.
Overwintering
California poppy is an annual in Central Europe. Young plants tolerate light frost down to about minus 5 °C, but do not survive hard winter frost. In mild areas, plants from an autumn sowing or from self-seeding can survive the winter and then flower earlier. In autumn, clear away the dried-up plants. For your own seed, cut the pods shortly before they burst open and leave them to dry further in a paper bag.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
You propagate California poppy by sowing. Sow the seeds from March to May directly in the bed or container, because the taproot does not tolerate transplanting. Scatter them thinly, press them down and cover them with no more than a wafer-thin layer of soil. They germinate after one to three weeks, and later you thin the seedlings to about 20 cm apart. Sowing in September is also possible and brings flowers earlier the next year, but in harsh areas the young plants easily freeze off in winter. The plants readily self-seed; the pods burst open when ripe and fling the seeds far.
For your garden
Grow California poppy yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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