Poached egg plant

Limnanthes douglasii

Low spreading hardy annual with bright yellow-and-white flowers like miniature poached eggs. Flowers earlier than most other annuals, when beneficial insects most need help.

Hardiness ratings

Poached egg plant hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 3–10 −40 °C to 4.4 °C Zones where it can be grown as an annual — not a frost-tolerance rating
RHS hardiness rating H5 −15 °C to −10 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −34 °C to −1 °C Zones where it can be grown as an annual — not a frost-tolerance rating
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 1–6 −15 °C to 15 °C Zones where it can be grown as an annual — not a frost-tolerance rating

As a tender annual, Poached egg plant doesn't overwinter — the zone range shows where the growing season supports it. See the RHS rating for its actual cold tolerance.

Growing notes

  • Outstanding hoverfly attractant — hoverfly larvae consume vast numbers of aphids
  • Flowers in cool weather when most companion-planting annuals have not yet started — fills the early-season gap
  • Easy from seed and self-seeds reliably once established
  • Native to the western United States

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Poached egg plant against your zones

Reference

Poached egg plant on Wikipedia