Eschscholzia is a perennial herb with surprisingly delicate and soft flowers. It belongs to the poppy family and grows in western North America. In Europe, eshsoltsia first appeared at the end of the XVIII century. Since then, plants with bright, moth-like flowers have long settled in parks and gardens. In group landings, they resemble multi-colored lakes swaying in the wind. The people often call the flower "California poppy." For the resemblance of green foliage with wormwood, eschscholzia can be found under the name "wormwood".
Plant description
Eschscholzia is a perennial with a well-developed rod root rhizome. Highly branched upright 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 stalks. 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 in May. Each bud lives no more than four days, so prolonged flowering is explained by a constant change of colors. It should also be noted that escholia flowers are diurnal. At night and in cloudy weather they close.
Externally, the flowers resemble small poppies or moths. Wide petals with a smooth or folded surface are located in one or more tiers. They distinguish simple, semi-double and terry eshols. Petals can be painted in red, orange, yellow or white. A month after pollination, the fruits begin to ripen — oblong-shaped seed capsules. They look like round, fleshy pods up to 7 cm long. Inside there are many elliptical small seeds of gray-brown color.
Types of eschscholzia
Although there are 12 plant species in total, 2 of them are most common in the culture. To diversify the assortment for the garden, many decorative varieties are bred.
Eshsholtsiya California (California poppy). The plant with thin branched shoots has a dark green shoot covered with a bluish bloom. Part of the processes of a bush 40 cm high lies on the ground. All stems are covered with triple-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 double flowers of saturated color (at the edges the petals are painted in bright pink, and in the center they become lighter);
- Apricot chiffon - bushes 35-40 cm high are covered with double flowers with corrugated petals of a creamy apricot hue;
- Mikado - simple bright yellow flowers with a diameter of 6-7 cm with a bright orange core;
- Ballerina - terry eschscholzia with large bright flowers with a diameter of up to 15 cm;
- Fruit explosion - flowers with wide folded petals are painted in saturated colors of yellow, pink, raspberry flowers.
Eshsholtsiya sod. A grassy annual plant of compact size. The height of the shoot does not exceed 15-20 cm. Light green openwork leaflets are collected in basal rosettes. On weakly thin, thin peduncles simple bright yellow flowers bloom up to 3 cm in diameter. Flowering begins in June.
Seed cultivation
Eshsholtzia is propagated by seed. Many gardeners wonder: when to sow a flower? You can do this in the fall (in November) immediately into the open ground. In this case, the seeds will undergo a natural stratification, will sprout early and flowering is possible from May. If crops are planned for spring, freshly picked seeds should be mixed with sand, placed in paper bags and stored in the refrigerator.
Before sowing seeds in open ground, you should choose a well-lit area with loose sandy loam soil. It makes shallow grooves and 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 core root system of eschscholzia is easily damaged during transplants, so it is best to grow seedlings in peat tablets. In early March, seeds after two weeks of cold stratification are carefully placed on the surface of a peat tablet. A container with tablets is placed in a well-lit room at a temperature of + 20 ... + 22 ° C. Growing plants at the end of April begin to gradually take to 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, you need to dig and prepare the soil. Peat and sand contribute to heavy clay soils. Acidity should be neutral or slightly acidic. Too acidic soil is mixed with dolomite flour or ash. Planting fossae are made shallow so that the root neck is located on the surface. The optimal distance between sprawling bushes is 30 cm or more.
Plant care
Eschscholzia does not cause much trouble. But periodic care of the plant is necessary. It likes regular watering, preferably several times a week. Water it with a small amount of liquid. It is best to carry out irrigation in the evening, when the sun stops strongly baking. Ornamental varieties need watering more, but eschscholtia soddy is perfect for regions with frequent droughts.
Several times a year, plants need to be fertilized. In the spring before flowering, a solution of organic fertilizer is applied. During the summer, another 1-2 fertilizing with mineral compounds for flowering plants is carried out. Eschscholzia can suffer from the dominance of weeds, so you can not do without regular weeding. Loosening the soil favorably affects the growth and development of the plant, since air penetrates better to the roots.
It is recommended to prune the wilted flowers immediately, then new buds will appear in their place and the flowering will last longer. After pruning, sometimes a break of several weeks comes, followed by a wave of abundant flowering.
In open ground eschscholzia normally tolerates even intense heat, but it is sensitive to frost. It tolerates only small short-term frosts up to -5 ° C; therefore, in a temperate climate, plants are often grown as annuals. In the fall, all shoots are cut off, and the site is dug up. In the spring, fresh seedlings are planted.
In hot, dry weather, bushes can suffer from the invasion of bean aphids and spider mites. Insecticide spraying helps to defeat parasites (Aktara, Komandor).
When water stagnates in the ground, root rot and powdery mildew develop. If the leaves, with proper care, turn yellow and fade, this indicates a viral infection. Regardless of the type of disease, damaged plants should be removed and destroyed to prevent spread. From fungal infections, the soil and neighboring plantings are treated with fungicide.
Healing properties
Eschscholzia is not only distinguished by its excellent appearance, but also by its beneficial properties. Her juice contains alkaloids, flavonoids and dyes. Dyes Native American women used to create cosmetics. Active components are contained in the ground part, which is cut and dried during flowering.
Alkaloids have antispasmodic, sedative and analgesic effects. Alcohol tinctures, liquid extracts and gelatin capsules are prepared from eschholzia. In many countries, eschscholzia is used in traditional medicine. Lotions with her help to soothe a toothache. The use of drugs helps relieve stress after experiencing stress. Also, the doctor may prescribe tincture for people with insomnia and children suffering from enuresis.
The medications do not have pronounced contraindications. They are not recommended for allergy sufferers, children, as well as lactating and pregnant women. With caution, appoint a reception for people who engage in activities that require increased attention.
Garden use
Eschscholzia is good at group and solo landings. Abundant flowering resembles a bright lake or a flock of moths that crouched to rest on the grass. Delicate flowers sway beautifully from the slightest blow of the wind. Bushes can be planted along the edges of the tracks. Creeping varieties look good in rock gardens.
The neighborhood of these delicate flowers needs to be selected carefully. They can suffer from aggressive plants and get lost against the background of brightly blooming representatives of the flora. You can combine eschscholtia with plants of a similar color scheme. Not bad flowers look with salvia, ageratum, lavender and cereals.
