Notes on Western Wildflower Mix in North Fork, CA (near Yosemite) Zone 7, 3000 ft.
Seeds were purchased in fall 2005 from Wildseed Farm in Texas and planted here in North Fork, CA. Wildflower planting areas have been hand weeded and watered until July, then drip irrigated in some areas until fall rains. The persistence of some varieties, such as Rudbeckia, may be because of the seeds remaining viable for some years. Also, I have saved and sowed seeds for the last two years for these varieties: CA poppy and corn poppy, larkspur, blue flax, Indian Blanket, Plains Coreopsis, tickseed, rudbeckia. I found these easily collected. Here are the results over five years.
Chrysanthemum maximum Shasta-Daisy
Coreopsis lanceolata — Lance Leaf Coreopsis or Tickseed
Rudbeckia hirta Black-Eyed-Susan
Comes every year in 12-15 places
Eschscholzia californica California Poppy
Linum perenne lewisii Wild Blue Flax
Nemophila maculata Five Spot
Nemophila menziesii Baby Blue Eyes
Comes every year in 5-6 places
Centaurea cyanus — Bachelor Buttons, Cornflower
Oenothera elata hookeri Hooker’s Evening Primrose
Gaillardia pulchella — Indian Blanket
Delphinium ajacis (Consolida ambigua) Rocket Larkspur
Coreopsis tinctoria — Plains Coreopsis
Clarkia amoena — Farewell to Spring
Bloomed first year then disappeared
Silene armeria Sweet William Catchfly
Papaver rhoeas Corn Poppy
Lupinus succulentus Arroyo, Hollowleaf or Succulent Lupine
Erysimum cheiri Wallflower
Linaria maroccana Toadflax or Baby Snapdragons
Rare appearance, if any, after the first year
Dimorphotheca aurantiaca African-Daisy
Linum grandiflorum var. rubrum — Scarlet Flax
Phacelia campanularia California Bluebells 2