How to Grow Poached Egg Plant
Limnanthes douglasii
Hardy Cool Season
Poached Egg Plant is one of the simplest hardy annuals — sow direct into any well-drained soil in full sun in spring or autumn. Scatter seed thinly and barely cover; germination is fast. No feeding, no staking, no fuss. It flowers prolifically from late spring, smothering itself in white-and-yellow blooms that bees and hoverflies love. Allow to self-seed and it will return every year. Ideal as an edging plant, gap-filler, or companion plant alongside vegetables.
In your Leaftide garden 
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Season
- Cool Season
- Spacing
- 15 cm
- Height
- 15 cm
- Sow depth
- 0.5 cm
- Min. soil temperature
- 5°C+
- Start from
- Seed
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
When to Start
Direct sow outdoors as soon as soil reaches 5°C — typically early to mid spring. Hardy enough to tolerate light frosts.
Don't know your frost date? Find it here →
Growth Stages
Sow seeds
Day 0 Germination
~10 days Flowering
~56 days Seed to harvest ~56 days
Approximate days from start
Care Essentials
- No feeding needed — thrives in poor soil. Feeding encourages foliage over flowers.
- One of the easiest hardy annuals. Self-seeds prolifically year after year once established. An excellent companion plant that attracts beneficial insects and pollinators, and suppresses weeds with its dense low mat of foliage.
Growing Conditions
- Min. soil temperature
- 5°C+
- Germination temperature
- 10–18°C
Don't know your frost date? Find it here
Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 15 cm |
| Row spacing | 15 cm |
| Sow depth | 0.5 cm |
| Mature height | 15 cm |
| Mature spread | 15 cm |
Growing Conditions
| Min. soil temperature | 5°C |
| Germination temperature | 10–18°C |
| Base growth temperature | 4°C |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How far apart should I plant Poached Egg Plant?
- Plant Poached Egg Plant 15cm apart with 15cm between rows.
- Is Poached Egg Plant frost hardy?
- Poached Egg Plant is classified as Hardy.