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Maureen Gilmer
Papaveraceae
Romneya coulteri
Matilija Poppy
The huge snowy poppy-flowers of this tall shrubby perennial put on a show for many weeks beginning in spring. It is native to dry arroyos and canyons in southern California.
Erect, fleshy, woody-based stems clothed in leathery, gray-green, deeply lobed leaves arise from thick, wandering rhizomes in early spring. The solitary, dinner-plate-size flowers open from smooth, beaked buds from spring until early- or midsummer. The crinkly blooms have five or six petals and a large central puff of numerous golden-yellow stamens. Bristly, ovoid pods follow the flowers. They release seeds that require fire for germination.
This imposing and astonishingly beautiful perennial requires full sun and well-drained, fertile, neutral to alkaline soil. It needs ample room for its romping rhizomes. Plants benefit from a severe early-spring pruning. An excellent choice for California gardens, it succeeds in many other regions, its roots surviving temperatures far below freezing. Several cultivars are available including the robust, floriferous 'White Cloud'.
9 - 1
7 - 10
H1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Perennial
Full Sun
4'-10' / 1.2m - 3.0m
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
California
Neutral, Alkaline
Well Drained
Loam, Sand
Drought
Fast
Drought Tolerant, Average Water
Upright/Erect
Spring, Summer
Showy
White, Yellow
Bicolor
Green, Tan
Gray Green
Yes
No
Single
Feature Plant, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Sometimes
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