Grow flame-orange California poppy flowers to light up your garden. These flowers will love the sunniest spots in your yard.
California Poppy Care and Growing Tips
Grow these brightly colored flowers as annuals throughout most of the country, and as perennials in Zones 8 to 10. They require full sun and grow in well-draining, poor soils, such as in sandy or rocky conditions. Keep in mind that the flowers close at night or in cloudy weather.
If planting California poppies direct from seed, gardeners should sow them in fall or early spring. Planting in early spring gives a longer bloom time, but sowing in fall allows for flowers earlier in the year. They require minimal watering and tolerate drought well.
- Common name: California poppy
- Botanical name: Eschscholzia californica
- Growing zones: Zone 8 to 10, annual elsewhere
- Light needs: Full sun
- Size: 6 to 12 inches
- Grown for: Striking, drought-tolerant orange flowers
- Attracts: Pollinators, butterflies, birds
Benefits of Growing California Poppies
California poppy is commonly added to gardens for its unique orange flowers and its ease of growing. Rabbits might browse the leaves, but deer tend to leave it alone. Butterflies, bees, and other pollinators regularly stop by, and in fall, birds swoop in for its seeds.
Identification and Native Range
“I saw this beautiful orange flower (above) while visiting a palace garden in Spain. Can you identify it, and can I grow it in North Carolina?” asks Birds & Blooms reader Sadie Chilton.
Horticultural expert Melinda Myers says, “This beautiful drought-tolerant flower is a California poppy (Eschscholzia californica). It is native to the western United States and is the state flower of California. It’s a short-lived perennial in Zones 8 to 10 and grown as a cool-season annual in colder climates such as yours. The flowers will close during rainy and cloudy days, and at night.
Grow these plants in a garden that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight and has well-draining soil. Deadhead the faded blooms to extend their bloom time, but allow some to set seed if you want new seedlings for next year’s garden.”
About the Expert
Melinda Myers is the official gardening expert for Birds & Blooms. She is a TV/radio host, author and columnist who has written more than 20 gardening books. Melinda earned a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
