Eschscholzia minutiflora
little gold poppy
Overview
Eschscholzia minutiflora is a small winter annual in the poppy family, native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It grows 4-16 inches (10-40 cm) tall with slender, branching stems and finely dissected blue-green foliage divided into narrow segments. The flowers are small for a California poppy relative, 0.25-0.6 inch (6-15 mm) wide, with four pale to golden-yellow petals that open in sun and close in shade or at night. Plants flower in spring, the timing and abundance tied to winter rainfall, and can carpet desert flats and slopes in years with good rain. After flowering, narrow seed capsules 1.5-2.5 inches (4-6 cm) long split open to scatter seed. The whole plant is short-lived, completing its cycle in a single season and dying as desert soils dry in late spring. It grows on sandy and gravelly desert flats, washes, and rocky slopes, often among creosote and sagebrush. Flower size and plant vigor vary widely from year to year, and in dry years plants stay small and produce few blooms.
Native Range
Eschscholzia minutiflora is native to the Mojave, Sonoran, and Great Basin deserts of the southwestern United States, including California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, and into northern Mexico. It grows in open desert flats, washes, and rocky slopes.Suggested Uses
Eschscholzia minutiflora is used in desert and native wildflower gardens, rock gardens, and seed mixes for dry, sunny ground. It suits naturalized sandy areas where it can self-sow. Its flowers are visited by desert bees and other insects.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 1'4"
Width/Spread4" - 10"
Bloom Information
Pale to golden-yellow flowers open in spring (March-May), with the exact timing and abundance set by winter rainfall. Individual flowers open in sunlight and close at night, lasting a few days each. In wet years bloom can be heavy and brief; in dry years few flowers form.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pale to golden-yellowFoliage Description
blue-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Drought Tolerance
Drought tolerant when established
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Eschscholzia minutiflora grows in full sun and sharply drained sandy or gravelly soils of low fertility. As a desert annual it depends on cool-season rain to germinate and flower, and it tolerates heat and drought as the season ends. Sow seed in fall on bare, open ground where the plants are to grow, as poppies resent transplanting. It needs no fertilizer and little water beyond natural rainfall in its climate. Plants complete their life cycle in one season and die after setting seed. Self-sown seed germinates in later years when rains return.Pruning
No pruning is needed. Plants can be left to set and drop seed, and spent plants pulled once they dry if reseeding is not wanted.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons
✓ Toxicity
Non-toxicPlanting Guide
Planting Methods & Timing
Planting Method
direct sow
Direct Sow Timing
fall
Days to Maturity
60–90 days
Plant Spacing
6 inches