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| Californian Poppy in the PVAS gardens. |
The Californian Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) grows well in the Possum Valley garden and is a wonderful flowering plant selection for the hot and dry climate of the Perth Hills. The colourful flowers not only brighten the garden, but attract many insects including bees and butterflies.
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| Road sign in California showing Californian Poppy. |
The Californian Poppy is native to the United States and Mexico. Eschscholzia californica is named after Dr. Johann Friedrich Eschscholz (1793-1831) a Russian surgeon who was one of a party that noticed the plant in 1815 while exploring the Pacific coastline of what is now California (Wilson, 2015). Masses of golden poppy flowers were visible from the ocean at that time and it is said that sailors navigated the area by the position of the golden hills (Wilson, 2015). Early Spanish explorers called California the ‘land of fire’ after seeing the poppies in flower. The Californian Poppy has been the state flower of California since 1890 but development of urban areas in recent years has seen the destruction of much of the Poppies’ natural habitat.
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| Californian Poppies in Yosemite National Park. |
Californian Poppies produce a number of four petaled flowers on each plant. These open on sunny days and close in the evening. They are available in a range of colours from orange and yellow hues to purples and pinks. The plant itself is eye catching, growing to a width of approximately 30 cm and covered with soft, feathery blue-green leaves. These poppies are technically a perennial, meaning that they can grow and flower for more than one year. The plants may die back but their taproots will continue to live underground and regrow at a later date.
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| Californian Poppy Champagne & Roses available from The Diggers Club. |
Californian Poppies prefer well drained soils but can grow in many soil types. They thrive in nutrient poor soils such as gravelly garden beds and while excess fertilizing increases foliage growth it will hamper flowering. Californian Poppies are drought tolerant once established. Perth experiences a similar climate to California, with hot dry summers, making it the perfect place for these poppies to shine.
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| Californian Poppy Jelly Beans available from The Diggers Club. |
Eschscholzia californica produces the best results when grown directly from seed. Scatter the seeds thinly and directly in the place where the flowers will grow. Seeds should be sown in Spring and sowing continually over several months will result in more plants flowering for a longer time. The main flowering month is October. Removing some of the dead flower heads will also extend the flowering season. Californian Poppy seeds take 15 days to germinate and 55 days to flower. Seeds can be collected from dead flowers to sow the following year. Californian Poppies are so hardy that they can become a weed and are sometimes regarded as one in WA, NSW and Victoria. It is important not to let the seeds and plants escape into bushland.
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| Our Californian Poppy seedlings, approximately 3 weeks old. |
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| Californian Poppy Golden West, available from The Diggers Club. |
If you wish to try Californian Poppies in your own garden, The Diggers Club https://www.diggers.com.au/ is a fantastic online store and sells the seeds of many different varieties of these plants. We promote The Diggers Club as they ensure all seeds are not genetically modified. Enjoy!
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| Californian Poppy Red Chief, available from The Diggers Club. |
Referenced materials and further reading:
-Clark, Curtis. 2000. The genus
Eschscholzia: Californian poppies and
their relatives. Online: https://www.cpp.edu/~jcclark/poppy/index.html
-Wilson, Matthew. 15 November 2015. How to grow: California poppy. The Telegraph. Online at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/3311595/How-to-grow-California-poppy.html
-Yosemite National Park Wildflower Guide. Californian
Poppy. Online: http://www.yosemitehikes.com/wildflowers/california-poppy/california-poppy.htm
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