Poached egg plant in bloom (16 April 2020).  Photo by G.

The big guy has a new favourite wildflower: the poached egg plant.  The name says it all.

It’s also known as Meadow foam, of the Limnanthaceae family, and is originally native of California.

They are low-growing annuals with pinnately divided leaves and cup-shaped, 5-petalled flowers in summer and autumn.  (RHS online).

Alternatively said, they are a spreading bushy annual, of  just over a foot in height at full growth, with “finely divided leaves and open bowl-shaped yellow flowers with white-tipped petals, in summer and autumn.”  (Gardener’s World online)

Meadow foam is a good choice as ground cover, or to add colour to the edges of paths, and is an asset in the vegetable garden as it attracts a wide range of pollinators and insect predators.  As we found on our plot, it self-seeds and naturalises easily in any sunny spot.  The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).

In terms of ground cover, each plant can spread up to 30 inches.  They are long-blooming annuals and have attractive foliage as well as creamy white and bright yellow flowers.  They are also said to have a nice aroma, though we haven’t noticed.  Must check!

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