Guide to Growing Garden Plants - Limnanthes Marsh Flower
Limnanthes is a genus of spreading hardy annuals that reach about 30 cm in height.
They carry yellow and white cup shaped flowers in either spring or summer.
Their size and spreading nature makes them an ideal plant for use in the rock garden or as an edging plant.
Some common names for Limnanthes include Marsh Flower, Fried eggs and Meadow Foam.
Limnanthes douglasii - Poached egg flower by Arenamontanus; creative commons.
Poached egg flower by Anyjazz65; creative commons.
Quick Limnanthes Growing Guide and Facts
Common Names: Poached Egg Flower. Meadowfoam: White; Mountain; Woolly; Foothill; Sebastopol; Baker's.
Life Cycle: Hardy annual.
Height: 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 cm).
Native: North America.
Growing Region: Zones 5 to 9.
Flowers: Spring and summer.
Flower Details: Yellow, white. Cup shaped. Four or five petals. Fragrant.
Foliage: Both lobed and non-lobed on the same plant.
Sow Outside: Cover seed. Sow before the last frost, summer, and again in the autumn. Germination time: two to three weeks. Temperature 50 to 60°F (10 to 16°C). Spacing 4 inches (10 cm).
Sow Inside: No.
Requirements: Full sunlight or light shade. Good drainage. Soil pH 5.5 to 6.5. Moist soil. Provide support. Provide trellis. Occasional feed. Regular watering to keep soil moist.
Miscellaneous: As the poached egg plant is attractive to hover flies it can be grown to biologically control aphids.
How to grow Marsh Flower
When growing Limnanthes from seeds it is best to start them outside. When Marsh flowers and other Limnanthes members flower is dependent upon the flowering time. Sow the seed before the last frost of spring for summer blooms; sow towards the end of autumn for flowering in the springtime.
In all cases simply cover the seed once the seed has been sown and space them about 10 cm apart. It should take two or three weeks for the seed to germinate. Marsh flower can grow in either a sunny or partially shaded part of the garden that has good drainage. They prefer a soil that is moist and cool and acidic (pH 5.5 to 6.5) in nature.
Caring for Marsh Flowers in the garden
Marsh Flowers are easy to look after; they require regular watering in the dry months.