Poached Egg Plant

A delightful and cheerful hardy annual that is a must-have for Victorian-style cottage gardens and vegetable patches. Limnanthes douglasii earned its common name from its distinctive flowers, which feature a bright yellow centre surrounded by a clean white outer edge, resembling a fried egg. This low-growing, spreading plant typically reaches only 15cm in height but can form a dense mat of succulent, fern-like, bright green foliage. In the UK, it is one of the best plants for attracting beneficial insects, particularly hoverflies, which help control aphids. It is exceptionally easy to grow and can be sown directly where it is to flower in either spring or autumn. It is a hardy annual (H4) and will reliably self-seed, often appearing in the same spot year after year without becoming a nuisance. It prefers a sunny position with moist but well-drained soil and is particularly useful as an edging plant for paths or at the front of a sunny border. It provides an early and mid-summer burst of sunshine.

Sun: Full sun.

Soil: Moist but well-drained soil.

Hardiness: H4 — down to −10°C.

Flowering: May, Jun, Jul, Aug.