Mexican Tulip Poppy

PERENNIAL GROWN AS ANNUAL

Summer/fall bloom
Can handle light frost

TO START EARLY INDOORS

Two to three weeks before the last frost date, sow seeds 1/4 inch deep and 1 in. apart in individual pots of seed starting mix. Keep warm and moist and provide a strong light source until seedlings are ready to plant outdoors. so transplant very carefully into the garden 8 in. apart when seedlings are large enough to handle.

TO START OUTDOORS

Sow seeds in a well-worked seedbed in full sun when danger of frost is past and temperatures have reached at least 50°F (10°C) both night and day. Space seeds 4 inches apart in rows 8 inches apart, cover lightly, 1/4 inch deep, and gently firm soil. Keep soil evenly moist but not soggy while awaiting germination in 10 to 14 days. Thin to 8 inches apart before plants get too crowded.

GROWING NOTES

These vibrant flowers glow in a mixed border or wild garden with their finely-cut, gray green foliage and bright, butter yellow blossoms that attract summer butterflies. Cut plants back halfway when the first flowering has finished and plants start to look rangy, and you will be rewarded with another long flush of bloom until frost. Mexican Tulip Poppies are perennial in very mild climates.