California poppies

Native to Mexico and southern USA, California poppies are easy to grow from seed, provided they get a cold spell followed by wet and then lots of sunshine

Denise Bush

Friday, 28 March 2025, 12:33

California poppies, or Eschscholzia californica to use their botanical name, are just the thing to brighten a dull wintry day, a splash of vivid orange against dark-green fern-like leaves.

Native to Mexico and southern USA, California poppies are easy to grow from seed, provided they get a cold spell followed by wet and then lots of sunshine. With this sequence of events, this year the climate has been perfect for them.

Although a perennial, they do not always come back in subsequent years and are best treated as an annual. Once established, they can cope with hot, dry spots and do well in coastal areas. They can also be used for xeriscaping.

In the heat of the summer they will go dormant but, in mild climates, may reflower with the first rains of the autumn. In the winter cut them right back and cover with mulch or alternatively pull them out and re-sow them in the spring.

California poppies don't mind poor soils and don't need fertilising. Deadheading regularly will ensure prolonged blooming. They do however, need full sun and a free draining soil.

Although the flowers don't contain nectar, they do have abundant pollen which attracts bees.

There are several cultivars of Eschscholzia californica which offer various shades of pink and yellow, even cream, petals. There are also double forms and some with a darker 'eye'.

In ideal conditions self seeding may become a nuisance but the California poppy is easy to pull out. They hate being moved and so transplanting is not an option although they can be grown in a container and moved under shelter in cold winters.

The California poppy is fast-growing and from sowing to flowering can take between 60- 90 days.

All parts of Eschscholzia californica are toxic, both to humans and animals.

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