Pheasant’s Eye Seeds – Adonis aestivalis Red Annual

Red Flowers with Dramatic Dark Centers

Summer Pheasant’s Eye (Adonis aestivalis) brings small, cup-shaped red flowers with dark centers to wild gardens, slopes, and mixed borders. Finely cut leaves provide a delicate backdrop to the midsummer blooms, creating a striking contrast without overwhelming nearby plants.

This annual can self-sow when flowers are left to set seed. Use it in an ornamental planting where its spread can be managed and where children, pets, and grazing animals will not have access.

Important Safety Information

Toxic plant. For ornamental growing only. Do not eat or use for home remedies. Keep seeds and plants away from children, pets, and livestock. Do not allow horses to graze on this plant.

Plant Highlights

• Botanical name: Adonis aestivalis.
• Common name: Summer Pheasant’s Eye.
• Life cycle: Annual.
• Flowers: Red, dark-centered, cup-shaped blooms approximately 1/2–1 inch across.
• Foliage: Finely cut leaves approximately 1–2 inches long.
• Bloom season: Midsummer.
• Light: Full sun preferred; the existing listing also notes light woodland settings.
• Soil: Fertile, well-drained soil; the growing notes also describe open, rocky sites with alkaline soil.

How to Sow

Direct sowing in the final growing position is the preferred method in the existing guidance. Prepare a weed-free seedbed and scatter seeds in spring before the last expected frost. Germination is listed at approximately 30–40 days as temperatures warm to 64–68°F (18–20°C). Thin seedlings after the danger of frost has passed.

A dormant late-fall sowing after several hard frosts is another option described in the planting notes. Choose sowing dates according to your local climate rather than a fixed calendar month.

Growing and Care

Provide good drainage and support plants if needed. Remove spent flowers regularly to extend the flowering period and limit self-sowing. If you allow seed to mature, monitor nearby areas for volunteer seedlings.

Available Seed Packs

Choose 50 seeds, 200 seeds, 1 oz, or 1/4 lb. The approximate seed count is 3,200 seeds per ounce; weight-based counts may vary. All options are for the same red-flowered annual.