Outsidepride Eschscholzia Californica California Poppy Native Garden Wild Flower Seed – 5000 Seeds

Price: $6.49
(as of Dec 25,2022 15:23:45 UTC – Details)

Product Description

California Poppy (Eschscholzia Californica) – The bright orange California Poppy wildflower was named for doctor-naturalist Johann Friedrich Gustav von Eschscholtz who was the surgeon for the Russian expedition team that dropped anchor in San Francisco in 1815 in a bay surrounded by hills covered with the golden flowers. The wild flowers were designated the state flower of California in 1903, and now are protected by state law prohibiting anyone from picking or destroying them when they are growing on public property.

Despite its mild-weather origins, California Poppy seeds will grow quite well in cold climates, but only as an annual. Poppies can be used in beds, borders, and in naturalized settings, but generally they do not do well in containers. The foliage is attractive, finely divided and lacy with a bluish-green color. The Poppy flowers close at night or in cold, windy weather and open again the following morning, although they may remain closed in cloudy weather. The Poppy plants require full sun and good drainage to flourish, so they are particularly well-suited to rock gardens and dry, sandy soils. Because the plants develop a deep taproot they do not transplant well, and therefore the wildflower seed should be seeded directly in the garden where you want them to grow.

California Poppy Care: Deadhead spent flowers to prolong blooming and enhance the appearance of the plant. Removing spent flowers and seed pods will also reduce re-seeding. You may use a low nitrogen fertilizer like a 3-18-18 liquid fertilizer to promote good root growth without the additional foliage growth.

The indigenous California Indians used this poppy as both a source of food and medicine. Several groups boiled the plant, or roasted it on host stones, to eat as a green. The Costanoan Indians rubbed a decoction of the flowers in the hair to kill lice; the Indians of Mendocino County used a poultice of fresh root for toothaches and a topically applied extract for headaches and sores; and Cahuilla women used the pollen as a cosmetic and the whole plant as a sedative for babies. Medicinally, California poppy is a plant with sedative, analgesic and antispastic activities, but unlike the alkaloids of the opium poppy, it does not seem to induce tolerance and dependence. It is touted by some for the treatment of anxiety and to induce sleep in patients affected with insomnia.

California poppies require full sun and good drainage to flourish, so are particularly well suited to rock gardens and dry, sandy soils. Because it develops a deep taproot they do not transplant well, and therefore should be seeded directly in the garden where you want them to grow. Although very small seedlings can be transplanted with care, self-seeded volunteers may be of inferior quality (particularly if they came from a hybrid variety).

Direct sow California poppy early in the spring, about the same time you would plant radishes. Rake the soil to prepare the seed bed, cover the seed about ¼ inch deep, and keep the soil moist after planting until the seeds germinate in 1 to 3 weeks, depending on the temperature. Thin to about 12 inches apart. Decrease watering (if that’s possible in our often rainy summers) after the plants begin to flower. Deadhead spent flowers to prolong blooming and enhance the appearance of the plant. Removing spent flowers and seed pods will also reduce re-seeding. Fertilization is not recommended as it promotes foliar growth over flowering.

Powerful pollen producer

The California poppy attracts a variety of bees, particularly bumble bees, honey bees and sweat bees, and is mainly pollinated by beetles. After the flowers are gone birds are attracted to the seeds.

Easy to Grow

Preparing soil and sowing seeds

You need to plant your California poppy seeds in rich, fast-draining soil with access to ample water and full sunshine. Covering the seed about 1/4 inch deep. If you have less than those desirable conditions, you are in luck because they can adapt to poor soil conditions and some periods of drought. You could improve poor soil conditions by working a shovelful or more of well-aged manure or organic compost into the soil, which needs to be done prior to planting.

Germination

Poppies don’t like to have their roots disturbed, so it’s best to sow seeds directly in your garden in the early spring when the soil is cool. They will need to be sown from 6-8 inches apart in all directions. You could also sow them in the fall before the ground freezes. Look for the seeds to germinate in 10-15 days and the plants to reach maturity from seed to flower in 60-75 days.

When it comes to fertilizer and poppies, less is more. Poppy plants require very little fertilizer. Overfertilizing will cause them to produce more leaves and fewer flowers.

Safe for animals?

If you are worried about your pet becoming sick should it ingest a California poppy, read this 2012 report issued by the University of California’s list of “generally safe” plants. The experts at wildflower.org tend to agree, reporting—after consulting with the ASPCA, University of California/Davis, Purdue and Cornell Universities—that “this doesn’t mean that the plant is absolutely non-toxic to dogs, but the chances of it being toxic are pretty low.”

California poppy wild flower seed produces a dense display of beautiful orange flowering blossoms across the U.S. in USDA zones 3 – 9.
Eschscholzia californica is an annual flower seed; however, it is a prolific reseeder. These poppies will drop their wildflower seeds and reseed themselves the following spring.
Buy these seeds for planting and rest assured these heirloom, non gmo, open pollinated seeds will produce a brilliant wildflower display for your flower garden, landscape, or meadow.
Orange poppies will reach 8 – 12 inches in height and bloom very quickly from flower seeds.
Buy seeds in bulk and plant 4 ounces per 1,000 square feet or 10 pounds per acre for a magnificent wildflower meadow.