Poppy, California: Purple Gleam (Eschscholzia californica)
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$1.00 - $5.60
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These poppies have a habit of opening and closing with the sun, appropriate for their native Golden State. The first member of the California poppy genus was identified in 1816 by German botanist Adelbert von Chamisso on an exploratory voyage to California and the Pacific Northwest. Chamisso named this genus “Eschscholzia” after a fellow botanist, Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz, who accompanied him on the journey. Nearly a dozen species of poppy grow wild in the western United States.
Scientific Name: Eschscholzia californica
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Cool Weather Annual: Zones: 4-7
Tender Perennial: Zones: 8-10
Bloom: Spring or early summer
Light: Full Sun
Water: Water seedlings occasionally, but decrease watering as the plants mature; poppies tolerate drought well and will only need watering in periods of extreme dryness.
Soil Moisture: This plant tolerates most soils that drain well.
Attracts Beneficial Insects: Yes. The flowers attract Bees and Butterflies and are resistant to Deer.
Containers?: Yes. Poppies grow well in containers, partly because they are drought tolerant. They add an airy aspect to pots, which gardeners usually pack with plants for eye-catching designs. Use them sparingly so they act as accents rather than focal points. Select large containers with drainage holes in the bottom or sides to prevent waterlogged soil. Fill the pot with a packaged potting mix, not garden soil. Garden soil, in addition to containing weed seeds, becomes very heavy when wet. You can sow seeds directly in the planter, but it is easier to arrange your design if you use transplants. Set the potted poppies and other plants on top of the soil before unpotting; rearrange them until the design suits you. Because many of the plants will not be mature or in flower when you do this, your imagination will need to fill in colors as well as the ultimate heights and spreads of your selections. Unpot the plants and set them in the container at the same level they were growing originally. Try to disturb the roots of the poppies as little as possible. Water the planting well. Water the containers as needed. In hot summer weather you may find yourself watering every day, depending on the plants you combine. Deadhead spent blooms on all plants to keep the plants producing new flowers and to keep the planting attractive.
Height: 16”
Spacing: 10-12”
Sow Depth: 1/4"
Produces: four petal flowers that are shades of Pink-Lavender.
USDA Grow Zone: 4-10
Ease of Growing: Easy
Grown as: Cool Weather Annual: Zones: 4-7
Tender Perennial: Zones: 8-10
Bloom: Spring or early summer
Light: Full Sun
Water: Water seedlings occasionally, but decrease watering as the plants mature; poppies tolerate drought well and will only need watering in periods of extreme dryness.
Soil Moisture: This plant tolerates most soils that drain well.
Attracts Beneficial Insects: Yes. The flowers attract Bees and Butterflies and are resistant to Deer.
Containers?: Yes. Poppies grow well in containers, partly because they are drought tolerant. They add an airy aspect to pots, which gardeners usually pack with plants for eye-catching designs. Use them sparingly so they act as accents rather than focal points. Select large containers with drainage holes in the bottom or sides to prevent waterlogged soil. Fill the pot with a packaged potting mix, not garden soil. Garden soil, in addition to containing weed seeds, becomes very heavy when wet. You can sow seeds directly in the planter, but it is easier to arrange your design if you use transplants. Set the potted poppies and other plants on top of the soil before unpotting; rearrange them until the design suits you. Because many of the plants will not be mature or in flower when you do this, your imagination will need to fill in colors as well as the ultimate heights and spreads of your selections. Unpot the plants and set them in the container at the same level they were growing originally. Try to disturb the roots of the poppies as little as possible. Water the planting well. Water the containers as needed. In hot summer weather you may find yourself watering every day, depending on the plants you combine. Deadhead spent blooms on all plants to keep the plants producing new flowers and to keep the planting attractive.
Height: 16”
Spacing: 10-12”
Sow Depth: 1/4"
Produces: four petal flowers that are shades of Pink-Lavender.
USDA Grow Zone: 4-10
Sow in early spring, planting the seed ¼” below the surface of the soil; keep the soil lightly moist until germination, which should occur in 2-3 weeks at a soil temperature of 60-65 degrees. In USDA Zones 7 and warmer, this seed can be fall planted. Poppies do not transplant well, and must be planted while very small if started indoors.
Water seedlings occasionally, but decrease watering as the plants mature; poppies tolerate drought well and will only need watering in periods of extreme dryness. This plant tolerates most soils that drain well, as well as adapting to seaside conditions. This plant does not need rich soil, and actually blooms best in poor soil. Pinch off faded blossoms for the most prolific blooming. These flowers prefer cool temperatures, usually blooming in spring and early summer and going dormant when the summer heat begins. Though an annual, it will reseed itself and return the following year. Poppies attract bees and butterflies.
For the longest lasting cut flowers, choose poppies that have just begun to open; cut them in the morning while the moisture is at its peak. Sear the cut ends of the flowers with boiling water or a match, and immediately plunge them into cold water. Place them in a vase with water at room temperature.
When saving poppy seeds, keep in mind that the resulting flowers sometimes revert to the dominant orange or red blossoms. After the petals drop off, a capsule will form and turn from green to tan. Since the capsules will eventually split and explosively release their seeds, cut them off as soon as the color begins to turn and the seed inside has ripened to grayish black. Spread the capsules out to dry for several days, then split them to remove the seeds. Store the cleaned seeds in a cool, dry place.
Leaves: Cooked. This plant is in a family that contains many poisonous plants so some caution is advised in using it.
The Californian poppy is a bitter sedative herb that acts as a diuretic, relieves pain, relaxes spasms and promotes perspiration. The whole plant is harvested when in flower and dried for use in tinctures and infusions. It is taken internally in the treatment of nervous tension, anxiety, insomnia and incontinence (especially in children). The watery sap is mildly narcotic and has been used to relieve toothache. It is similar in its effect to the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) but is much milder in its action and does not depress the central nervous system. Another report says that it has a markedly different effect upon the central nervous system, that it is not a narcotic but tends to normalize psychological function. Its gently antispasmodic, sedative and analgesic actions make it a valuable herbal medicine for treating physical and psychological problems in children. It may also prove beneficial in attempts to overcome bedwetting, difficulty in sleeping and nervous tension and anxiety. An extract of the root is used as a wash on the breasts to suppress the flow of milk in lactating females.
Project Purity Seeds can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Poppy is a great companion plant for roses. It looks wonderful with blue flowers like Campanula 'Telham Beauty', Centaurea 'Blue Boy', and Nigella 'Miss Jekyll Blue'
Suggested Varieties
Cornflower: Dwarf Blue (Centaurea cyanus)
$1.00 - $5.60
These bright blossoms once grew wild in the fields of the United Kingdom and southern Europe, though they have become very rare in recent times because of the changing landscape and new farming techniques. This species was first recorded for botanical records in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. While the genus name “Centaurea” comes from Greek mythology, the common name of Bachelor’s Button comes from the tradition of young men wearing the flower as a sign of love. They were also called cornflowers because of their abundant growth in farmers’ fields. At one time the blue blossoms were made into a temporary dye most often used for tinting frosting, sugar, or candies.
Cornflower: Tall Blue (Centaurea cyanus)
$1.00 - $5.60
These bright blossoms once grew wild in the fields of the United Kingdom and southern Europe, though they have become very rare in recent times because of the changing landscape and new farming techniques. This species was first recorded for botanical records in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. While the genus name “Centaurea” comes from Greek mythology, the common name of Bachelor’s Button comes from the tradition of young men wearing the flower as a sign of love. They were also called cornflowers because of their abundant growth in farmers’ fields. At one time the blue blossoms were made into a temporary dye most often used for tinting frosting, sugar, or candies.
Cornflower: Tall Pink (Centaurea cyanus)
$1.00 - $5.60
These bright blossoms once grew wild in the fields of the United Kingdom and southern Europe, though they have become very rare in recent times because of the changing landscape and new farming techniques. This species was first recorded for botanical records in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus. While the genus name “Centaurea” comes from Greek mythology, the common name of Bachelor’s Button comes from the tradition of young men wearing the flower as a sign of love. They were also called cornflowers because of their abundant growth in farmers’ fields. At one time the blossoms were made into a temporary dye most often used for tinting frosting, sugar, or candies.