Papaver nudicaule Iceland poppyPerennial (grown as...

Papaver nudicaule Iceland poppy

Perennial (grown as an annual in Southern California) with grayish-green leaves and large, showy flowers

They are the surest sign of seasonal change in Southern California, proof that summer’s blast-furnace weather is over and cooler days prevail. Iceland poppies, like many winter-only plants in our climate, will not survive our summers, but they flourish from fall through spring.

Although some strains of Iceland poppies have bright colors, they are best known for their soft, muted shades, especially those called Champagne Bubbles. From the barest blush to mauve and apricot, the cup-shaped flowers are large (at least 3 inches, sometimes as huge as 5) and crinkled, with golden stamens surrounding a greenish seed pod. Held aloft on straight, bare 18-inch-to-2-foot stems, with the hairy, lobed leaves clustered at the base, these flowers beg to be cut.

To prolong their bouquet bloom, sear the cut ends of the stems with a flame before putting the flowers in water. (A quick second or two over a gas flame or match will do; no need to barbecue the stems, as I did on my first try.)

These slender stems, so handy for cutting, are vulnerable to the elements: Iceland poppies tend to disintegrate in rain, their petals lost or drooping, stems bent or flattened. A Santa Ana wind can do just as much damage, but planting the poppies on the west side of taller flowers or a low shrub will help deflect some of that hot air.

Iceland poppies are almost as popular as pansies and impatiens in Southern California nurseries. The majority--usually Champagne Bubbles--are sold as transplants, in spite of seed-catalogue warnings that they don’t like their roots disturbed.

Seed growers have the advantage here, because two catalogues--Park Seed Co. and Thompson & Morgan--offer more varieties, including two dwarfs for the border: Wonderland (Park) and Garden Gnome (Thompson & Morgan). Oregon Rainbows (Thompson & Morgan) is a 3-year-old strain of huge, beautifully colored poppies, by far the most successful I ever grew in Echo Park (although germination rate was low).

Plants from nurseries should be set out now, but it isn’t too late to start seeds on your own. The seed is very fine, like dust, and should be pressed gently into a sterile seed-starting medium. Do not cover the seeds. Just be sure the plants get into the ground while it’s still cool. They should bloom into May, even early June, if a sudden hot spell doesn’t wilt them.