<p>(Family: Papaveraceae). They have finely divided ferny foliage, light to blue-green in colour, and very attractive. This is the true orange single California Poppy, a widely-grown oldtime favourite. Very attractive in flower beds and especially nice when naturalized in wild areas. Blooms last for 3 or 4 days and close at night. This plant is drought tolerant. Grows 18-25cm (7-10in) tall.</p><p>Direct seed where they are to flower in mid-April through mid-May. Lightly cover the seeds. Germinates at 15C in 10 days and flowers 16 weeks later. Space the plants 6in apart. It likes full sun, and does best in poor, well-drained soil.</p><p>Eschscholzia commemorates a nineteenth century naturalist, Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz. There are stories about sailors in the 16th century journeying along the coast of California looked upon the hillsides awash with a golden hue and named the country 'Tierra del Fuego'. Seeing the glowing shores they would shout 'Gold, gold!' and believe that they had found the land of El Dorado. All they had seen were the blooms of the California poppy. It is native to Western North America.</p>
