Southwest Wildflower Seed Mix

The Southwest Wildflower mix is a wonderful way to fill in areas of your garden that you don’t typically cultivate. This mix is chosen specifically for the American Southwest with a focus on beautiful blooming flowers that will feed the pollinators and your soul! The seed mix includes:

Common Name                 Scientific Name

Clarkia                                      Clarkia unguiculata

African Daisy                          Dimorphotheca sinuata

California Poppy                    Eschscholzia californica

Indian Blanket                        Gaillardia pulchella

Bird’s Eyes                               Gilia tricolor

Mountain Phlox                      Linanthus grandiflorus

Blue Flax                                  Linum perenne

Arroyo Lupine                         Lupinus succulentus

Blazingstar                               Mentzelia lindheimeri

Pale Evening Primrose          Oenothera pallida

Corn Poppy                              Papaver rhoeas

Palmer Penstemon                 Penstemon palmeri

Desert Penstemon                  Penstemon pseudospectabilis

California Bluebell                 Phacelia campanularia

Prairie Coneflower                 Ratibida columnifera

Peruvian Zinnia                      Zinnia peruviana

Planting by Zones

Zones 9-10

• This wildflower mix is specifically for the American Southwest. Best for elevations below 7,000 feet in Arizona, Southern California, Southern Nevada, and New Mexico, although you can also plant it in other regions. Scatter seeds during the cool season in an area that will receive regular irrigation or rainfall. Some varieties in this mix will easily reseed or perennialize in mild areas.

Zones 2-8

• Grown as annual. Plant in spring after the danger of frost is gone.

Planting Southwest Wildflower Mix Seeds

• This mix of seeds contains 16 different varieties of hardy wildflowers that pollinators love. You can choose to direct sow them in a weed-free area of your garden or plant them in starter pots and transplant them outside. If you decide to plant in starter pots, make sure you start in large shallow pots and spread the seed out adequately to make thinning and transplanting out easier. Plant the seed on top of a well-moistened quality seed starting mix and cover with about 1/4″ of finely sifted soil. Once the seedlings are about 2″ tall, you can thin them and spread them out to more starter pots. Once the plants are about 4-5″ tall, you can plant them out in the garden.
• If you choose to direct sow the mix, clear your garden area well, being sure to remove sticks, rocks, and weeds. Water the area heavily before you plant. Follow the same instructions as above.

Growing Southwest Wildflower Mix

• Southwest Wildflower Mix is a perfect addition to native and xeriscaping gardens. It is not fussy and can be left to grow happily in the garden, even in poor soils. If seeds are sown thickly, thinning the clusters will give you larger blooms and happier plants. 

Growing Southwest Wildflower Mix in Containers

• If you are planting in containers, make sure your container is at least 10″ deep. The larger the container, the more blooms you will get. Keep in mind containers will dry out faster because they have more surface area and less soil to hold onto moisture.

Harvesting Southwest Wildflower Mix Flowers

• Southwest Wildflower Mix flowers are beautiful and can be cut to make arrangements. Cut flowers early in the morning and place them in a vase of room temperature water immediately. This will result in longer-lasting blooms.

Southern California Pro-tips

• In areas of Zones 9 and 10 with mild winters, you can plant in the fall to grow through the winter and bloom in the spring.
• In Zones 9 and 10, dry winters can inhibit the growth of wildflower gardens. Irrigate regularly in dry areas for the best results. Prolonged blooming will occur with irrigation.

Companion Flowers/Crops

• Southwest Wildflower Mix grows well with other native plants and wildflowers. Shop all our flowers here.

Additional Learning Resources

• New to starting crops from seeds? Please watch our Seed Starting Presentation to learn the basics!
• Learn about growing all our crops on our YouTube page!
• Having pest issues? Check out the in-depth information at the UC Integrated Pest Management site.