How to Grow Golden Poppies in California

The golden poppy, or California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), is California’s state flower, growing wild through the state. It is a perennial with 8- to 24-inch stems shooting from the plant’s base. The flowers are 2 inches wide and in shades ranging from light yellow to bright orange. They bloom spring throughout summer, but the blossoms stay closed on cloudy days and at night. “Sunset Western Garden Book” recommends sowing the seeds in their permanent bed because seedlings don’t transplant well.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

things you’ll need:

• Weeding tool
• Rake
• Seeds
• Water

1. Cultivate the flower bed to remove weeds, lawn grass and other debris from the ground.
2. Rake the planting bed to a smooth surface.
3. Sow the seeds 1/16 inch deep. To achieve this planting depth, it’s easier to broadcast the seeds on the ground surface instead of trying to make such shallow holes. Cover the seeds with a fine layer of topsoil. Plant them in fall in California’s milder climates to the west of the Sierra Nevada. Put the seeds in the ground in spring if it usually freezes in your area of the state.
4. Irrigate the seedbed with a fine mist to avoid dislodging the seeds. Keep them moist until germination.
5. Water the plants when the soil stays very dry because of an extended drought. Otherwise, let rainfall irrigate them, as golden poppies thrive in dry conditions.