California Poppy Jelly Beans Seeds - Eschscholzia californica

Sow the scintillating, unicoloured or bicoloured flowers that come in bright tones of rare intensity of Eschscholzia californica Jelly Beans, then let nature take its course. This annual offers a very long flowering period above a wave of very finely cut, bluish-green foliage for fantastic effect. Just as at home in cloister gardens as in sophisticated flower beds, this double flowering plant is delicate as silk and will readily withstand heat, drought and poor soils. It self-seeds very easily in light soil.

California Poppy ‘Jelly Beans' is a variety obtained from Eschscholtzia 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, 25 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 nicely with the colour of its flowers.  Depending on when the seeds were sown, flowering takes place from spring to summer. It reveals in the midst of its foliage, double, cup-shaped, silky flowers that reflect the sunlight and only open when it is bright enough. Depending on the plants, they come in many bright shades of white, pink, yellow or orange and can sometimes be variegated. The flowers are melliferous and nectar-rich and 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 pretty but short-lived in bouquets.