Hi, I’m Eric Allen from edenbrothers.com, and today we will be growing white California poppy from seed.

California poppy, eschscholzia californica, is a small seed that packs a wonderful punch. In warm weather, like its namesake, California, it is a perennial. While in areas that have a winter season, it acts like an annual.

Most gardeners plant California poppy seed directly into the garden where they want them to bloom. So, choose a good place with good soil, loosen the soil and just scatter the seed like this. Like most wildflowers, you don’t want to bury the seed, but you definitely want what is called seed-to-soil contact. Just tossing the seeds on the soil is not enough, you have to press them into the dirt. Again, don’t bury them, just press them into the soil like this.

On larger plantings, this can be done with a lawn roller or even a piece of plywood. And then, water until they sprout, which should be in about a week.

The native wildflower in California is orange. However, this one is white, and it is known as ivory castle. It is an excellent edging plant or can be used wherever you need a patch of color.

Ivory castle can grow up 18 inches, and blooms beautifully at the front of a border.

As for zones, California poppy will grow in all of them. California poppies are very easy to grow, and you can plant them in spring or fall after frost.

As the name would imply, California poppy definitely likes sun. So, whatever you do, don’t plant them in deep shade. Edenbrothers.com has ivory castle and many of the other California poppies, by the packet or by the pound.

I’m Eric Allen, from edenbrothers.com, the seediest place on earth.