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California Poppy

Eschscholzia californica
Also known as: Golden Poppy, California Sunlight, Copa de Oro

California Poppy is a flower in the Papaveraceae family. It grows best in full sun with dry to medium moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 3-10. Plants reach maturity about 50–75 days after planting and sit about 6 inches apart.

Varieties

7 from True Leaf Market & High Mowing · sorted by days to maturity
  • Ballerina Mix50–60 days

    Heirloom; Non-GMO; Container; Annual

    50-60 Days to maturity. Eschscholzia californica. Ballerina Mix California Poppy Seeds. Non-GMO, annual. Ballerina Mix California poppies are colorful and hardy. Perfect for mass plantings and low-maintenance gardens, these delightful blooms are sure to liven up any garden or yard. These wildflower-like blossoms can take the drought and lots of sun! One ounce covers about 625 square feet of bare soil. ~17,000 seeds/oz.

    View on True Leaf Market
  • Formula Mix50–60 days

    Heirloom; Non-GMO; Container; Annual

    50-60 Days to maturity. Eschscholzia californica. Formula Mix California Poppy Seeds. Non-GMO, annual. Formula Mix California poppies are a serious favorite of pollinators like honey bees. These easy-to-grow flowers are charming when planted en masse but thrive just as readily in containers and other applications. Colorful and full, Formula Mix California Poppies are perfect for livening up a variety of gardens with a spread of color. One ounce covers about 250 square feet of bare soil. ~18,500 seeds/oz.

    View on True Leaf Market
  • California Orange51–69 days

    Naturalizes in poor, dry soil; 8-12” tall; Re-seeding annual

    Simple, silky-orange flowers accented by wispy, blue-green foliage. Prolific sun- loving blooms are very attractive in flower beds or naturalized in fields. Start transplants 2-3 weeks before last frost or direct sow 1/4” deep after last frost; transplant carefully and thin to a final spacing of 6” apart. Eschscholzia californica. 18.8M seeds/oz.

    Growing notes: We have selected these easy-to-grow flower varieties for their individual beauty, for the beneficial insects they attract, and/or suitability for cut flower production. By offering an assortment of hues, heights, growth habits and appearances, we strive to fill your flower needs, whether you are adding color to your home garden or selling bouquets for market. Our varieties are tried-and-true standards that are sure to perform well in a wide range of growing conditions. Many of these varieties are well suited for succession plantings to ensure a continuous harvest throughout the season. Days to maturity are from seeding. M=1,000.

    View on High Mowing
  • Red Chief55–75 days

    Heirloom; Non-GMO; Container; Tender perennial often grown as annual

    55-75 Days to maturity. Eschscholzia californica. Red Chief California Poppy Seeds. Non-GMO, heirloom, tender perennial that is often grown as an annual. Red Chief California Poppies bring a taste of the Pacific Coast right to your backyard! These vivid, eye-catching blooms bring flames of color wherever they go, making it easy to see why poppies are the state flower of California. They also attract pollinators and are tolerant to rabbits and other pests. Red Chief poppies are perennials in warmer climates and readily re-seed as annuals. Does well in mass plantings or flower beds along with being container-friendly. Perfect for growers in hot, arid climates. Approximately 18,000 seeds per ounce.

    View on True Leaf Market
  • Mission Bells56–70 days

    Non-GMO; Container; Annual

    Mission Bells is a classic California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), a species native to California and the western United States. It produces semi-double and double cup-shaped blooms in a warm mix of orange, yellow, pink, and cream on slender stems above feathery blue-green foliage. Easy to grow from seed and tolerant of heat and poor soil, this full-sun annual is well suited to meadows, borders, and cut arrangements.

    View on True Leaf Market
  • Carmine King60–75 days

    Non-GMO; Container; Annual

    60-75 Days to Maturity. Eschscholzia californica. Carmine King California Poppy Flower Seeds. Non-GMO, hybrid, annual flower in zones 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Deer resistant. Attracts pollinators. Displays pink-colored blooms with a golden center from late spring to summer. Recommended for growing in beds, containers, and fields. In the landscape, Carmine King Poppies are great for wildflower gardens, borders, and as a mass planting. Its vibrant color adds a pop of color to any landscape setting. It has a low, upright habit with tolerance to cold, heat, and drought. These flowers are not recommended for culinary use, although they are sometimes used for traditional medicine in teas and tinctures. The Carmine King variety is special because of its unique and vibrant carmine blooms, which are less common among California poppies. Its ability to attract pollinators while being deer-resistant makes it an appealing choice for many gardeners. ~18,000 seeds/oz.

    View on True Leaf Market
  • Mikado Red60–75 days

    Heirloom; Non-GMO; Container

    60-75 Days to maturity. Eschscholzia californica. Mikado Red California Poppy Seeds. Non-GMO, annual. Mikado Red California poppy is a true sun worshipper. Its silk-like petals open to greet the morning sun and close at the end of the day. Poppies are very drought tolerant and do well in places with hot, dry summers. Try them as show-stopping mass plantings. They are also perfect for planting along the street. One ounce covers about 125 square feet of bare soil. ~21,625 seeds/oz.

    View on True Leaf Market
Family
Papaveraceae
Category
Flower
Form
Bush
Lifecycle
annual
Zone
3-10
Height
0.5–2 ft
Spread
0.5–1 ft
Sun
Full sun

Plant spacing

4 plants per square footSquare-foot planting diagram: a 1-foot square divided into a 2-by-2 grid holding 4 california poppy plants spaced 6 inches apart.
4 plants per square foot

In a square-foot bed, space california poppy about 6 in apart — that fits 4 plants in each 1-foot square (2×2). Wider rows or containers space the same.

Water
Dry to medium

Plan your california poppy planting

Add california poppy to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.

Start your free plan →

At a glance

Days to harvest
50–75 days
From transplant or sow to first harvest
Harvest style
Keep picking
Crops over several weeks
After harvest
Use within days
Quality eases off after peak
Frost tolerance
Hardy · to ~20°F
Lowest temperature the foliage usually survives
Succession
Re-sow every 21 days
Sow again at this interval for a continuous harvest

Growing timeline

When to plant and harvest california poppyPlanting timeline for california poppy, relative to last frost: start indoors from 6 weeks before last frost to around last frost; grow from around last frost to 7 weeks after last frost; harvest from 7 weeks after last frost to 11 weeks after last frost.Start indoorsGrowHarvestLast frostTransplant
Start california poppy indoors ~6 weeks before transplanting around last frost; first harvest 7 weeks after last frost.
Seed to transplant
28-42 days
Outdoor planting
0 to 14 days vs frost
Propagation
Seed
Schedule anchor
Last Frost

Care & troubleshooting— extension-sourced, with citations

When to feed, prune & water

Attract beneficial insects and protect pollinators

Protection
  • Routine carePlant insectary flowers and tolerate light pestsstrong evidence — extension confidence

    Grow a diversity of flowering plants (including small-flowered umbels and asters) to feed predators and parasitoids, and tolerate low pest numbers so natural enemies have prey to stick around.

    Source: UC IPM; UMN Extension

  • Routine careNever spray open bloomsstrong evidence — extension confidence

    Avoid insecticides on flowering plants and apply any needed sprays in the evening when pollinators aren't active, and favor selective products over broad-spectrum ones to spare bees and beneficials.

    Source: UC IPM

Something looks wrong?

Describe what you see on your california poppyand we'll rank the likely causes — most likely first, least-invasive fix first.

Aphids

Pestlow

Symptoms: clusters of tiny soft-bodied insects on new growth and undersides; sticky honeydew or sooty mold; curled distorted new leaves; ants tending them

  • CulturalBlast off with water· every 3 days · ~2 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence

    Knock colonies off with a strong jet of water in the morning; repeat every few days. Light infestations rarely need more.

    Source: UC IPM: Aphids

  • OrganicInsecticidal soap - label use only· every 1 wk · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence

    For persistent colonies apply insecticidal soap to undersides per label. Avoid open flowers.

    Always follow the product label — it is the law.

    Source: UC IPM