California Poppy Sun Shades Seeds - Eschscholzia mexicana

Sow the bright, orange or yellow flowers of a rare intensity of Eschsolzia mexicana Sun Shades and let nature take its course. This annual also known by the name California Poppy, offers blooms for many months during the summer. Its vibrant lowers rise above a sea of very finely cut, bluish-green foliage, producing quite a fantastic effect. Just as at home in cloister gardens as in sophisticated flower beds, this plant with flowers as delicate as silk, readily withstands heat, drought and poor soil. It self-seeds freely in light soil.

California Poppy ‘Sun Shades' is a variety derived from Eschscholzia californica, a short-lived perennial native to California and the Southwestern United States. This plant develops a taproot and quickly forms a clump of foliage, measuring 30 cm in height and width. The leaves are pinnate, finely cut and of a particularly attractive colour varying between bluish green and green-grey, that contrasts beautifully with the colour of its flowers. Flowering takes place from spring to autumn, depending on when the seedlings were sown. It reveals in the midst of its foliage, single, silky, cup-shaped, orange or yellow flowers that reflect the sunlight and only open when conditions are bright enough. The flowers are melliferous and nectar-rich. They are followed by the formation of long, tapering, 7 to 8 cm long, glaucous capsules that contain tiny seeds.

California poppies are a godsend for dry gardens, rock gardens, poor, difficult soils and seaside gardens. They can be sown in perennial beds, natural areas of the garden or even in pots. They are perfect plants for maintenance-free gardens or weekend gardens. Their colours blend beautifully with light blue and mauve hues. They are beautiful in bouquets though short-lived.