Eschscholzia californica Monarch Mixed

This mix of Californian poppies, also known as Eschscholzia californica 'Monarch Mixed', offers single or semi-double flowers in a range of warm and vibrant colors: their papery-textured corollas radiate under the sun, in bright red, cherry pink, carmine, orange, and yellow, depending on the plants. These annual plants provide a very long flowering period above feathery, bluish-green, highly ornamental foliage. Equally at home in cottage gardens as in sophisticated flower beds, these plants enthusiastically tolerate heat, drought, and poor soils. They readily self-sow in light soil.

The Monarch Mixed Californian poppy is a mix of plants obtained from Eschscholzia californica, an annual to short-lived perennial plant native to California and the southwestern United States, from the family Papaveraceae. These plants with a taproot quickly form clumps of foliage about 25 cm (9.8 in) in all directions. The leaves are pinnate, finely divided, with a color ranging between bluish-green and attractive gray-green, contrasting with that of the flowers. Flowering occurs from spring to summer, depending on the sowing date. It reveals, amidst its foliage, single or semi-double cup-shaped flowers with a silky texture, reflecting the sun, and only opening if it is generous. They come in various vibrant shades, such as yellow, orange, and different shades of dark pink and red, either solid or sometimes variegated. The flowering is nectar-rich and honey-producing. It is followed by the formation of long, slender capsules, about 7 to 8 cm (3.1 in) long, glaucous green in color, containing tiny seeds.

Californian poppies are a boon for dry gardens, rockeries, and coastal gardens. They can be sown in perennial beds, natural areas of the garden, or even in pots. They are perfect plants for low-maintenance or weekend gardens. Their colors blend beautifully with light blues and mauves. They are pretty, but short-lived, in bouquets.