Eschscholzia californica

‘Red Chief’

RED CHIEF CALIFORNIAN POPPIES

Eschscholzia californica ‘Red Chief’
RED CHIEF CALIFORNIAN POPPIES

The blooms of Eschscholzia californica ‘Red Chief’ glow like fire engines, against lovely silvery-blue-grey ferny foliage.

Satin petals of fire engine red

‘Red Chief’ is properly, lusciously, seriously red.
Flowers are the pure red of fire engines and old fashioned pillar boxes.
With the petals glowing as if cut from silken satin – simply lovely texture and colour.

Glowing against silver-blue-grey feathery foliage

The foliage of ‘Red Chief’ is the perfect silver foil to set off the flowers.
It is a foliage and flower colour combination made in heaven.
I am not usually a red person – but this is an irresistible combination.

So easy & pretty for a hot, dry garden

Eschscholzia thrive in heat and dry.
Because they are desert plants by nature, and are therefore well adapted to cope with heat, dry, wind and sand, as well as frost.

Water-wise & drought resistant

So they are very water-wise and drought resistant garden plants.

Groundcover for seaside or rocky places

Eschscholzia californica ‘Red Chief’ enjoys Full Sun, well drained soil, and copes with a wide range of soil types.
So it is perfectly happy in seaside gardens and able to thrive in either sandy or rocky soil.
And it can be happily left in any hot and dry place to self seed and form a lovely groundcover of ferny foliage and showy satin blooms.

Long blooming with little effort

Eschscholzia produce their flowers for months, over spring, summer and autumn.
So they make a continual display without much effort from you.

Quick & easy from seed

They are also very quick and easy to raise from seed, and will be in bloom in a short time after sowing.
And the seed can be simply scattered directly in the garden bed where you want them to grow – nothing could be easier.

Great for gardening with kids & beginners

Eschscholzia californica ‘Red Chief’ is a great plant for children (and beginner gardeners) grow from seed – as they get a big reward so quickly.

Cheerfully self-sowing

Eschscholzia are some-times classified as annuals, particularly in regions with cold winters. However fear not – it happily self seeds from year to year.
While remaining evergreen in warm winter climates.
Eschscholzia is non-invasive.
Excess seedlings are easily transplanted when young, or weeded out if it sows children too enthusiastically.

Self-sowing annual 45cm High, fire engine red flowers x 45cm Wide clump of attractive silvery, ferny foliage.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY
Suits beginners & gardening with kids

Seeds of Eschscholzia californica ‘Red Chief’ are very quick and easy to germinate.

Scatter directly in the garden where they are to grow.
OR
Raise indoors in punnets / small pots for early plants and quick flowering.

Sow indoors for rapid & maximum germination: First sow Eschscholzia seeds on the surface good quality seed raising mix.
Then only very lightly sprinkle with sieved seed mix or fine vermiculite.

Seeds are best sown thinly in small pots / plant tubes – so they can be transplanted into the garden with minimal root disturbance

Now soak the sown pots in a shallow water bath, so the moisture percolates up from below through to the surface of the mix. Drain.

Then place in a warm, well lit place (not in any direct sunlight), or place on a heat mat.
Temperatures of 15-20°C are best for rapid and optimum germination.

Continue to keep consistently moist by misting from a water-spray bottle.
And covering with a clear lid or plastic bag will also help to maintain consistent moisture in the pots.

Seeds germinate in 10 to 30 days approx.

Harden off and mature before finally planting out in the garden.

Seed Count: 200 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the seed count and give a generous serve)

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