Eschscholzia flowers. Growing escholcia

From June until the onset of autumn, spectacular golden flowers can be seen in the flower beds, strongly reminiscent of miniature poppies. This is Californian escholcia, discovered more than two hundred years ago in the south of the North American continent and has since become one of the favorite plants of flower growers all over the world.

The European settlers who arrived in America believed that the new lands were hiding incredible treasures. One has only to dig and the bowels will give away the wealth hidden in them. Obviously, therefore, flowers of a bright sunny hue in Americans who speak Spanish, and the Mexicans are still called the Copa de Oro or golden cup. Local population believes that where the escholzia opens its rims, gold nuggets can be found over time.

Of course, this is nothing more than a beautiful legend, but in a number of regions of the United States the flower is legally protected, and in California for more than a century it has been considered a living symbol of the state.

What does the plant look like? Is there any real benefit or harm from escholcia, and how to grow a flower on your own site?

California Eschscholzia (Eschscholzia californica) and its description

In nature, the plant can be found not only in California, but also in Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, in other states in the south and southwest of the United States, as well as in Mexico. Due to the warm climate in their homeland, California poppies are herbaceous perennials, very unpretentious and forming vast fields, completely covered with golden-orange flowers.

A plant from 20 to 50 cm high forms a branching aerial part with erect stems and dissected leaves of a light green or bluish hue sitting on long petioles. In the conditions of central Russia, the cultivation of Californian escholcia is possible in open field or at home, as a pot culture. On is a spectacular annual that does not require special care and blooming throughout the warm season.

On the windowsill, under the condition of autumn-winter illumination, the plant will successfully overwinter, and then it will bloom from the very beginning of spring.

The flowers of the wild-growing escholzia have a simple, bowl-like shape. Petals are painted in yellow, orange, less often red tones. The palette of varietal plants is much wider. Today, flower growers have varieties with white, purple, pink and even variegated flowers. Terry forms of Californian escholcia are incredibly popular.

Corolla with a diameter of 5 to 7 cm sensitively reacts to changes in weather and time of day, closes at night and when there is a threat of rain. In this case, the flower lasts no longer than 2-3 days, but the short duration of flowering is compensated by its mass character. In place of the faded corolla, a seed box appears, which, when ripe, opens easily, which leads to frequent self-sowing.

Features of growing escholcia

The Californian fields that have become famous, completely overgrown with golden flowers, are the result of the high adaptability and incredible unpretentiousness of the escholcia.

The plant does not need much nutrient soil, nor in a special watering mode.

sun flower:

• drought tolerant;
• not afraid of short-term cooling;
• can grow on poor soils;
• suitable for landscaping balconies, indoor cultivation.

These qualities of culture, as well as long abundant flowering, influenced the distribution of California poppies throughout the world. Eschscholzia cultivation is available in most regions of Russia.

How to sow escholcia

The plant propagates by sowing small seeds that easily germinate in the ground, and when stored, remain viable for two years. How to sow escholcia in open ground?

A well-lit area with a light, moisture-permeable soil of a neutral or slightly acidic reaction is perfect for a culture. Since the seeds are small, they are mixed with dry sand before planting in the soil. This will simplify the work and guarantee uniform seedlings. Sowing is carried out on the surface of slightly compacted soil, after which the site is carefully watered so as to prevent moisture stagnation.

Sprouts appear in 1.5-2 weeks. When the first true leaves form on young escholcia, the plants can be thinned out, leaving one for every 20–25 cm.

Dates of sowing in open ground

When to plant escholcia in open ground? Sow the small seeds of this interesting flower can:

• in spring, starting from mid-April, when the earth warms up enough;
• autumn, before the onset of persistent frosts.

When spring sowing in open ground, flowering often begins only by mid-summer.

For California poppies to open their corollas in the first days of summer, experienced growers it is advised to carry out pre-winter sowing or use the seedling method.

Eschsholtzia Californian through seedlings

When to plant escholcia for seedlings? This can be done in the second half of March or in April in such a way that the strengthened plant gets to a permanent place as soon as possible. If you delay, the escholcia forms a long taproot, which is easy to damage during the transfer to a flower bed, or rabatka.

When preparing the soil for sowing or planting escholcia seedlings, you should not use fresh organic matter, as well as be zealous with watering growing flowers.

Growing escholcia in a pot

To green a balcony, terrace or decorate a window sill in a room, flower growers choose not only beautiful, but also the most hardy plants. Eschscholzia is excellent for these purposes. She is not afraid of direct sunlight, lack of moisture and nutrients.

At home, growing escholcia from seeds will not be difficult even for a beginner. It is convenient to sow seeds immediately in a balcony flower box or pot. The soil should be light, loose and sufficiently moisture-intensive. This soil is obtained by mixing garden soil, lowland peat, sand or perlite.

With minimal care, escholcia actively grows and bushes, blooms willingly even in the cold season. True, for this, the grower will have to take care of the artificial extension of daylight hours to 12-14 hours. The rest of the care is:

• moderate watering when the surface layer of the soil dries;
• removal of wilted corollas;
• half dose of top dressing for flowering plants.

Even before planting the escholcia in pots, it must be borne in mind that the flower branches and has long roots. For most varieties of California poppy, a container with a depth and width of at least 18–20 cm is suitable.

Medicinal properties of Californian escholcia

Flower growers are attracted easy fit and outdoor care of escholcia, bright long flowering and many spectacular varieties. However, this is not all the advantages of the plant.

In landscape design, escholcia is used on Alpine rollercoaster, in mixborders with other annuals, for formation and in traditional flower beds.

Eschscholzia, a member of the poppy family, was traditionally used by the American Indians as a pain reliever and sedative. Modern research medicinal properties escholcia Californian fully confirmed the folk experience.

All parts of the plant are biologically active. Raw materials containing such alkaloids as helirubin, sanguinarine and macarin, flavone glycosides and other valuable substances are collected at the time of flowering, dried or used fresh.

For use in medicinal purposes extracts are prepared from California poppies, alcohol tinctures and powders that have a calming, analgesic and antispasmodic effect.

The most common indication for use is:

• insomnia;
• anxiety and nervous tension;
• toothache and spasmodic pain;
• urinary incontinence.

For the older age category, preparations from escholzia will be useful for the prevention of memory disorders and the improvement of the intellectual state in general.

The use of California poppy tincture or powder can cause unwanted reactions in the body. Therefore, before taking, you need to consult with your doctor.

The juice of the plant has analgesic properties. To relieve pain from damaged or inflamed gums, the fresh root of California escholcia is cut lengthwise and applied to the affected area. Thanks to its antimicrobial properties, the product facilitates and accelerates the treatment of:

• abrasions;
• scratches;
• irritation;
• inflammatory processes on the skin and mucous membranes.

Antispasmodic qualities help to remove:

• muscle pain and spasms;
• nervous tension after a hard day;
• coughing fit.

At a high body temperature, a decoction or infusion of escholcia will play the role of a natural antihistamine. A tincture from the root of the plant is used to treat the mammary glands in the suppression of lactation in women who are breastfeeding. And the powder is the base folk way getting rid of head lice.

Preparation and dosage of escholcia infusion

An aqueous infusion can be prepared using 2 grams of dried herb and 150 ml of water. Vegetable raw materials are poured with boiling water, brought to a boil and left to infuse. The finished composition is filtered and drunk 2-3 times a day with:

• insomnia;
• irritability;
• anxiety and other mild disorders.

If there is an extract or alcohol tincture of California poppy in the first aid kit:

• with mild pain and anxiety, drink 15 to 25 drops three times a day;
• in severe cases, the dose is increased to 30-40 drops and consumed 2-5 times a day.

Unlike the poppy, which requires special care, the plant does not contain opiates.

Therefore, with a lot of useful properties, contraindications for escholcia are much less.

Precautions While Taking Eschscholzia Californian

The use of California poppy products is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Eschscholzia varieties for open ground and at home

Unpretentious escholzia delight all summer lush bloom. At the same time, seed pods are formed in place of fading flowers. If they are not collected in time, self-seeding occurs. And in next year plants will appear already outside the flower bed. Unfortunately, such specimens often do not retain the features inherent in the parent varieties.

Therefore, flower growers who are well acquainted with the culture are advised to use only varietal seeds. In this case, the flowerbed with escholcia until frost will be covered with delicate flowers of orange, white, yellow, purple and pink shades.

The dark red, orange-streaked corollas of the Mikado escholzia look very impressive. Flowers of a simple form captivate with a silky sheen and rich color that practically does not fade in the hot summer sun.

The terry flowers of the Orange King variety or the escholcia Chalice of the World look even more expressive. Both plants reach a height of 50 cm, and the corollas in the stage of complete dissolution open 10 cm.

Varieties with unusual colors for wild-growing colors will help to diversify the flower garden and introduce new colors into it. Among these varieties:

• shown in the photo escholzia Lilac ray with simple flowers lilac or pinkish color;
• escholzia Apple blossom with double flowers in white, yellowish, cranberry and carmine-pink tones.

The diameter of the corollas is 7 cm, and the plants rise 35–40 cm above the flower bed.

Interesting about escholzia - video

Flowers eschscholzia (lat. Eschscholzia), or California poppy- a genus of the Poppy family, which includes about a dozen species growing in the West North America. An old legend tells that when in the 16th century Spanish gold prospectors sailed to the coast of America in search of gold mines, they saw a golden glow 35 miles from the coast and, deciding that this was what they were looking for, rushed to the coast of California. How disappointed they were when it turned out that these were the fields of escholcia. Since then, the Spaniards jokingly call this flower "Copa de Ora" - a golden cup. The name "Eschscholzia" was given to the plant in honor of the Russian naturalist, zoologist, physician and botanist Johann Friedrich von Eschscholz, who brought the flower from California to Russia. This plant is as beautiful and romantic as it is unpretentious, which is why it is gaining more and more popularity among flower growers, especially since escholcia blooms in a flower bed very plentifully from the beginning of summer and almost until winter, and although one flower lives only 3-4 days , he is immediately replaced by a few more flowers and buds.

Listen to article

Planting and caring for escholcia (in short)

• Landing: sowing seeds in the ground in October or April, but after the stratification of the seed.
• Bloom: from June to October.
• Lighting: bright sunlight.
• The soil: dry, sandy, not too fertile, but well-drained soils of slightly acidic or neutral reaction.
• Watering: only during the dry season.
• Top dressing: before flowering with a full mineral fertilizer. Fresh organic matter cannot be used.
• Reproduction: seed.
• Pests: bean aphid, spider mites.
• Diseases: rot, powdery mildew.
• Properties: medicinal plant, the use of drugs which is not accompanied by side effects.

Read more about growing escholcia below.

Eschscholzia flowers - description

Eschscholzia is a herbaceous bushy perennial with a taproot, reaching an average of forty centimeters in height and grown in cultivation as an annual. The shoots of the plant are numerous and thin, bluish-green openwork leaves on long petioles are deeply dissected, cup-shaped single flowers up to 8 cm in diameter, simple or double, very similar to poppies, painted in white, yellow, orange, red or their shades . The peculiarity of escholcia flowers is that they close in cold, windy, cloudy or rainy weather, as well as at night. The fruit of the escholcia is a box ranging in size from 3 to 9 cm.

Growing escholcia from seeds

Sowing escholcia

Very often, sowing of escholcia is carried out directly in open ground. When is the best time to sow escholcia? If you sow it before winter, in October, then during the winter it will undergo natural stratification, and in the spring you will see strong seedlings that will only be thinned out. Yes, and autumn escholcia will bloom faster than sown in spring. If you have a reason to postpone sowing until spring, then put the seeds until April in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator - this way you will both preserve them and stratify them.

Before you sow the escholcia, determine in the garden for her sunny plot with dry sandy soil, then make shallow grooves in the soil, into which sow small seeds of escholzia mixed with sand, close them shallowly and mulch the area with peat sowing to prevent hardening of the soil, which can prevent seedlings from germinating. Autumn planting is mulched with a thick layer of dry foliage.

Eschscholzia seedlings

Growing escholcia most often involves sowing seeds directly into the ground. But an interesting fact is that experienced flower growers prefer growing seedlings, so we invite you to find out how this is done. As we already wrote, this culture has a long rod-shaped root system, which is very easy to damage during transplantation, so it is best to sow the seeds in peat tablets. Planting escholcia in tablets and caring for crops is carried out in the following order: put the tablets in a plastic container and pour water into it, when the tablets absorb water, drain its remnants, put one seed into each tablet using a wet toothpick, sprinkle the seeds on top with a small amount soil for seedlings, sprinkle crops with water from a spray bottle and cover the container with glass or film. The first sprouts will appear in two weeks, then the glass is removed, the container with the tablets is transferred to a bright place and kept at a temperature not exceeding 20 ºC. At this stage, caring for the escholcia consists of moistening the soil as needed and applying a liquid mineral fertilizer for seedlings two weeks after germination. Three weeks before planting in open ground, you need to start hardening the seedlings, taking them out during the day for several hours in a cool room. Hardened seedlings after planting in the ground can withstand temperatures as low as -5 ºC.

Landing escholcia

When to plant escholcia

So: escholcia is planted in a dry, sandy, well-drained soil of a neutral or slightly acidic reaction. If the acidity of the soil is too high, dig the area to the depth of a shovel bayonet, adding 200 g of dolomite flour or two glasses of ash per square meter. The timing of planting seedlings, depending on the climate in your area, is from April to the second half of May, when the threat of return frosts has passed.

How to plant an escholcia

Before planting the escholcia, dig small holes in the area at a distance of 30 cm from each other, since the bushes of the plant are quite sprawling. Seedlings are placed in the wells along with peat tablets, sprinkled with soil, compacted, then the site is watered. Eschscholzia blooms from seeds 30-40 days after sowing.

Eschscholzia care

How to grow an escholcia

Growing escholcia flowers after planting in the ground consists of regular loosening of the soil and timely top dressing. Eschscholzia need to be watered only in a very dry period, but if the summer is normal, the plant will have enough moisture that the rains give. In order to stimulate the long and abundant flowering of the escholzia, before it begins, a complete mineral fertilizer with a content of potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen and trace elements or an infusion of ash in a ratio of 1:10. Never use fresh organic matter as a fertilizer for escholcia - the plant may die from this. If you are against self-sowing, which intensively reproduces the escholcia in the garden, then after the flowers wither, remove them along with the seed pods. After the plant has faded, remove the old shoots as well - the Californian escholzia will quickly grow new ones, which in 2-3 weeks will bloom more than ever.

Eschscholzia pests and diseases

As you can see, planting and caring for escholzia flowers will not exhaust you, but planting and caring for eschsolzia must be carried out in strict accordance with the rules of agricultural technology, otherwise you may have difficulties that you did not suspect. For example, at the beginning of summer, the bean aphid can stick around the escholcia, which is destroyed by spraying with the Commander preparation. In a hot summer without rain, the plant is attacked by spider mites, against which you will have to use an actellik insecticide solution. Excessive watering can lead to rotting of the roots and other parts of the escholcia, in this case, watering is immediately reduced, and rotting areas are removed from the plants. If the lesion is too strong, you will have to remove the diseased bushes entirely. In the case of powdery mildew disease of the escholcia, they resort to treating the plant with sulfur.

Eschscholzia Properties

The American Indians used the ground parts of the escholcia as a remedy for toothache, and the Indian squaws considered the pollen of the flowers as valuable. cosmetic product. A decoction of flowers was used to treat pediculosis. Today, in France, escholcia is grown as a raw material for the pharmaceutical industry, and in the United States of America, California poppy preparations are used in pediatrics as an anesthetic and sedative. The main advantage of medicines from escholcia is the absence side effects characteristic of many benzodiazepine drugs.

Eschscholzia after flowering

How and when to collect escholcia seeds

Eschsolzia in winter

Even perennial species escholcias are grown in our conditions as annuals or biennials, so in the fall, before frosts, dig up the area where escholcias grew, removing plant remains. In the spring, even if you don’t really want it, you will again see strong, dense shoots on the site. Thin them out, fertilize the soil, and in a month you can again admire the delicate quivering beauty of the escholcia.

Types and varieties of escholcia

In the conditions of our climate, Californian escholcia, soddy escholcia and occasionally lobba escholcia are grown in culture.

Eschscholzia lobbi (Eschscholzia lobbi)

Low species up to 15 cm tall with light yellow flowers up to 2 cm in diameter.

Eschscholzia soddy (Eschscholzia caespitosa)

Growth is also only up to 15 cm in height. thrice cut thin leaves bluish-green in color, covered with a wax coating, collected in a rosette, above which rises a lush cap of bright yellow cupped flowers up to 3 cm in diameter. This species blooms from June until almost winter.

California Eschscholzia (Eschscholzia californica)

It resembles a wild poppy, which is why it is called the California poppy. It is a herbaceous, branched, creeping perennial shrub up to 40 cm high. Numerous thin ribbed shoots of bluish-green color are located on the stem, on them there are thrice dissected bluish leaves. Flowers solitary, cup-shaped, up to 9 cm in diameter, yellow, white, cream, orange or carmine. Eschscholzia Californian blooms profusely from early summer until the first frost.

In this article, I will introduce you to a unique flower - escholcia. With the onset of darkness or cold weather, he seems to hide his inflorescences. Cultivated species of escholcia do not exceed 35 cm.

The herbaceous annual blooms profusely if it receives a sufficient amount of trace elements. I like escholzia. I advise you to grow it apart from other flowering plants. Look at the photo of this miniature beauty!

The flower "Eschsholzia" belongs to the poppy family. It is found in Russia, Europe, America. Gardeners cultivate undersized varieties eschholzia, the height of such plants does not exceed 40 cm. The flower is annual, it is distinguished by thin branches and pale green petiolate leaves.

The flowers do not exceed 8 cm in diameter, depending on the variety, they can be simple or double. Eschsholzia Californian is very similar to the poppy.

It is interesting to observe this plant: when darkness comes, its flowers close.

Sowing seeds

You can not mess with seedlings, but sow seeds directly on the garden. Some gardeners practice autumn planting escholcia, others - spring. If you sow the seeds at the end of autumn, during the winter they will undergo stratification and in early spring will come up. To obtain blooming garden, you only need to thin out the seedlings. If you sow the plant in the spring, the flowers will appear later.

Eschsholzia takes root in a spacious, lit area. She loves easy sandy soil. I advise you to sow the seeds on the surface of the soil (they do not need to be covered).

After this, mulching with peat should be performed. The fact is that the soil can harden, and then the sprouts will hatch for a long time, peat will prevent such a problem. If you sow the seeds in the fall, mulch them with dry leaves.

Growing seedlings

A friend is growing escholcia seedlings in peat pots. When planting in open ground, it is not necessary to remove the plants from these containers. So let's consider seedling method cultivation. Take a few peat tablets and place in a small plastic container filled with water.

The containers must absorb a certain amount of water. Seeds should be placed on top of the tablets, sprinkle fertile soil and moisturize. I advise you to spray them from a spray bottle, and then cover them with polyethylene, which will create a greenhouse effect.

You will see sprouts in 15 to 17 days. At this time, you will need to remove the film and expose the container to light. Seedlings develop well at temperatures from + 17 to + 20 degrees. Water it as needed. I recommend feeding seedlings with mineral compounds.

Landing in open ground is carried out one month after sowing seeds. But 20 days before that, you need to start hardening the seedlings. I advise you to take the seedlings into the garden for 2 - 3 hours. Hardening is useful, as it increases the immunity of seedlings.

Planting seedlings in the garden

I advise you to plant escholcia in dry weather. As I said, the soil for the flower should be:

• light;
• fertile;
• well drained.

Eschsholzia loves soil with a neutral reaction. If the earth is acidic, dilute it dolomite flour: dig the bed to a depth of 20 cm, add a glass of product per 1 sq. m. The terms of disembarkation depend on the climatic features of a particular region.

AT middle lane Russian escholcia is planted from the end of April, when warm weather sets in. Before planting plants, it is necessary to form small holes, the distance between them should be 30 cm.

It should be remembered that the seedlings of this flower are sprawling. It is very convenient to grow escholcia in peat tablets. They are placed in holes, sprinkled with fertile soil, compacted and water is added. Eschscholzia, grown by seedlings, blooms in 35-45 days.

Caring for an annual escholzia

In order for the flower to grow well in the garden, you need to water it in time, also loosen the soil, and apply fertilizer. I advise you to water the escholcia in dry weather. If it often rains, the plant will accumulate moisture and feed on it. Gardeners cultivating escholcia stimulate flowering, for this they make mineral remedies. Each of them contains:

• phosphorus;
• potassium;
• nitrogen.

The flower does not tolerate organic matter! Eschscholzia reproduces on its own.

If you do not want it to grow in your garden, remove the flowers along with the seed pods. After the annuals have faded, remove their branches. After some time, the escholzia will grow new, thicker ones.

Diseases, possible pests

Planting and caring for an escholzia will not take you much time. Be sure to follow the rules of agricultural technology. If you do not take care of the plant in a timely manner, it will be attacked by bean aphids.

For pest control, I use the Commander. To avoid the invasion of insects, you need to water the flower on time, especially in hot weather. spider mite attacks escholcia in drought conditions; Actellik, a powerful insecticide, is used against the insect.

You can not water the flower beyond measure, otherwise the roots will rot! With extensive damage, it is required to remove the affected plants. If the escholcia is infected with powdery mildew, it is necessary to treat it with a sulfur-containing preparation.

The benefits of escholcia, seed collection

The flower is used in cosmetology traditional medicine. It has an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic effect. Indians use escholcia for dental treatment. They also claim that the plant is very useful for pediculosis.

The French and Americans use the flower as a pain reliever. Plant extract is added to medicines.

I bought seeds from the store, you can collect them. In mid-autumn, the plant reproduces abundantly by self-sowing. Your task is to find and thin out seedlings. After you do this, the escholcia will bloom. I do not advise collecting seed without gauze rags.

Put them on the flowers that have withered and fix with threads. After a month, cut off these boxes and carefully unfold them at home. Spread the seeds on paper, dry, determine in the refrigerator. Use them within 3 years.

Species and popular varieties

Most gardeners grow "California" varieties. Soddy Eschscholzia and Lobba are less popular species.

Eschsholzia Californian is very similar to the poppy. It is a short (up to 45 cm) shrub with silver-green branches.

The peculiarity of the plant is that its stem is thin, however, it does not break. The leaves of the Californian escholcia are gray-gray with a brilliant coating. The size of the inflorescences depends on the variety, the inflorescences themselves can be double or smooth. Seeds of the plant are rounded, brown.

I present to your attention a description of popular varieties.

1. Apple blossom. The variety is valued not only for its decorative effect, but also for its resistance to frost. The height of the plant does not exceed 33 cm. The highlight of the "Apple Blossom" variety is double flowers with a diameter of 3 to 4.5 cm.
2. Apricot chiffon. This is an indoor mini-shrub that grows only 30 cm. A distinctive feature of the variety is orange iridescent flowers. In the sun, they acquire a pinkish tint.
3. Golden Glory. Compared to others, this variety is tall. AT favorable conditions it reaches a height of 50 cm. Golden Glory flowers have 4 orange petals. Depending on the growing conditions, the shrub can form corrugated petals.
4. Bobby. The two-color variety grows by 40 - 45 cm. Its flowers are bright orange, rather large, iridescent in the sun.
5. Monarch Mixed. The flower is distinguished by a variety of inflorescences, it is often used to create bouquet compositions.

Eschsholzia soddy is not so popular. In nature, it is presented in the form of a compact (up to 16 cm) bush. The leaves of the plant are bluish-green with a slight silvery sheen, together they form a rosette. The flowers are yellow, do not exceed 3 cm in diameter. The plant is in harmony with lawn grass. Eschscholzia soddy can be grown in pots.

Eshsholtsiya Lobba is slightly larger than the previous species. Its maximum height is 20 cm. The inflorescences of Lobba's escholzia are yellow with speckles, the leaves are sharp. The plant blooms for a long time: from early summer to mid-autumn, cultivated exclusively in America.

Eschsholzia - perennial herbaceous plant with surprisingly delicate and soft colors. It belongs to the poppy family and grows in western North America. Eschscholzia first appeared in Europe at the end of the 18th century. Since then, plants with bright, moth-like flowers have settled in parks and gardens for a long time. In group plantings, they resemble multi-colored lakes swaying in the wind. In the people, the flower is often called the "California poppy". For the similarity of green foliage with wormwood, escholcia can be found under the name "wormwood".

plant description

Eschsholzia is a perennial with a well-developed taproot. Highly branched erect shoots are located above the ground, which form a shrub about 40 cm high. Thin dark green stems with a ribbed surface are covered with openwork dissected foliage. It is attached to the shoots with long petioles. The leaf plate is smooth, bare, covered with a bluish wax coating.

Single flowers are simple and double. They are bell-shaped and delight gardeners throughout the summer. Flowering begins in June, and sometimes as early as May. Each bud lives no more than four days, so the long flowering is due to the constant change of colors. It should also be noted that the flowers of the escholzia are daytime. They close at night and on cloudy days.

Outwardly, the flowers resemble small poppies or moths. Wide petals with a smooth or folded surface are arranged in one or more tiers. There are simple, semi-double and terry escholcia. Petals can be red, orange, yellow or white. A month after pollination, fruits begin to ripen - oblong seed pods. They look like round, fleshy pods up to 7 cm long. Inside are many elliptical small gray-brown seeds.

Types of escholcia

Although there are 12 plant species in total, 2 of them are the most common in cultivation. To diversify the assortment for the garden, many decorative varieties have been bred.

Eschsholzia Californian (California poppy). A plant with thin branched shoots has a dark green growth covered with a bluish bloom. Part of the shoots of the shrub 40 cm high lies on the ground. All stems are covered with thrice-dissected gray leaves. Their tops are crowned with cup-shaped bright orange flowers with a diameter of about 9 cm. The flowering period begins in mid-June and lasts until the onset of cold weather. Varieties:

• Strawberry Fields - scarlet semi-double flowers with a yellowish core;
• Apple blossom - large terry flowers of saturated color (at the edges of the petals are painted in hot pink color, and become lighter in the center);
• Apricot chiffon - bushes 35-40 cm high are covered with double flowers with corrugated petals of a creamy apricot shade;
• Mikado - simple bright yellow flowers with a diameter of 6-7 cm with a bright orange core;
• Ballerina - terry escholzia with large bright flowers up to 15 cm in diameter;
• Fruit explosion - flowers with wide folded petals are painted in saturated colors yellow, pink, crimson.

Herbaceous annual plant of compact size. The height of the shoots does not exceed 15-20 cm. Light green openwork leaves are collected in basal rosettes. Simple bright yellow flowers up to 3 cm in diameter bloom on slightly leafy, thin peduncles. Flowering begins in June.

Growing from seeds

Eschscholzia is propagated by seeds. Many gardeners are wondering: when to sow a flower? This can be done in the fall (in November) immediately in open ground. In this case, the seeds will undergo natural stratification, sprout early, and flowering is possible from May. If crops are planned for spring, freshly harvested seeds should be mixed with sand, placed in paper bags and stored in the refrigerator.

Before sowing seeds in open ground, a well-lit area with loose sandy loamy soil should be selected. Shallow grooves are made in it and they try to evenly distribute small seeds. They are covered with a layer of earth 2-4 cm thick and mulched with peat. Autumn crops are additionally covered with fallen leaves.

In the northern regions, it is advisable to pre-grow seedlings. This method is complicated by the fact that the tap root system of the escholcia is easily damaged during transplantation, so it is best to grow seedlings in peat tablets. In early March, the seeds after two weeks of cold stratification are carefully placed on the surface. peat tablet. The container with tablets is placed in a well-lit room at a temperature of + 20 ... + 22 ° C. At the end of April, grown plants begin to be gradually taken out into the street for hardening for 10-12 days. After such preparation, the seedlings are ready for planting in open ground. This is usually done in mid-May.

Before planting, it is necessary to dig and prepare the soil. Peat and sand are introduced into heavy, clayey soils. Acidity should be neutral or slightly acidic. Too acidic earth is mixed with dolomite flour or ash. Landing holes are made shallow to root neck was located on the surface. The optimal distance between sprawling bushes is 30 cm or more.

plant care

Eschscholzia does not deliver special trouble. But periodic care of the plant is necessary. It likes regular watering, preferably several times a week. It needs to be watered with a small amount of liquid. It is best to irrigate in evening time when the sun ceases to bake strongly. Ornamental varieties need more watering, but soddy escholcia is perfect for regions with frequent droughts.

Plants need to be fertilized several times a year. In the spring, before flowering, a solution of organic fertilizer is applied. During the summer, 1-2 more fertilizing with mineral compounds for flowering plants is carried out. Eschscholzia can suffer from the dominance of weeds, so regular weeding is indispensable. Loosening the soil favorably affects the growth and development of the plant, since air penetrates better to the roots.

In open ground, escholcia normally tolerates even extreme heat, but is sensitive to frost. It tolerates only small short-term frosts down to -5 ° C, therefore, in temperate climate the plants are often grown as annuals. In autumn, all shoots are cut off, and the site is dug up. In the spring, fresh seedlings are planted.

When water stagnates in the ground, root rot and powdery mildew develop. If the leaves are proper care turn yellow and shrink, this indicates a viral infection. Regardless of the type of disease, affected plants should be removed and destroyed to prevent spread. From fungal infections, the soil and neighboring plantings are treated with a fungicide.

Medicinal properties

Eschsholzia differs not only in its beautiful appearance, but also in its useful properties. Its juice contains alkaloids, flavonoids and dyes. Indian women used dyes to create cosmetics. Active components are contained in the ground part, which is cut and dried during the flowering period.

Alkaloids have antispasmodic, sedative and analgesic effects. Eschscholzia is used to prepare alcohol tinctures, liquid extracts and gelatin capsules. In many countries, escholcia is used in traditional medicine. Lotions with it help soothe toothache. The use of drugs helps to relieve nervous tension after experienced stress. Also, the doctor may prescribe a tincture for people with insomnia and children suffering from enuresis.

The medicines have no pronounced contraindications. They are not recommended for allergy sufferers, children, as well as lactating and pregnant women. With caution, appoint a reception to people who are engaged in activities that require increased attention.

Use in the garden

Eschscholzia is good in group and solo plantings. Abundant flowering resembles a bright lake or a flock of moths that have sat down to rest on the grass. Delicate flowers sway beautifully from the slightest breath of wind. Eschscholzia bushes can be planted along the edges of the paths. Creeping varieties look good in rock gardens.

Neighborhood with this delicate flowers must be chosen carefully. They can suffer from aggressive plants and get lost against the background of brightly flowering representatives of the flora. You can combine escholcia with plants of a similar colors. Not bad flowers look with salvia, ageratum, lavender and cereals.