Bristly Matilija Poppy, Romneya trichocalyx

About Bristly Matilija Poppy (Romneya trichocalyx) 2 Nurseries Carry This Plant

Add to My Plant List

Romneya trichocalyx is species of flowering plant in the poppy family. This poppy is native to southern California and Baja California, where it grows in dry canyons in chaparral and coastal sage scrub plant communities, sometimes in areas recently burned.It is a popular ornamental plant, kept for its large, showy flowers. This is a shrub which may exceed two meters in height, its woody stem growing from a network of rhizomes. The gray-green, waxy-textured leaves are each divided into a few lance-shaped lobes, the blades growing up to 20 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a large, solitary flower with six crinkly white petals each up to 10 centimeters long. At the center of the flower is a cluster of many yellow stamens. The fruit is a bristly capsule 3 or 4 centimeters long containing many tiny seeds. This plant bears the largest flowers of any species native to California, rivaled only by Hibiscus lasiocarpos. It was nominated for the honor of California state flower in 1890, but the California poppy won the title in a landslide.

This plant is very similar to Romney coulteri in both appearance and requirements. This species differs only in having more prominent bristles on the sepals. Most plants sold in nurseries in California will be coulteri; trichocalyx is rarely available. The two species will hybridize and there is at least one named horticultural hybrid known as 'White Cloud'.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Perennial herb

Size

3.5 - 7 ft tall
20 ft wide

Form

Upright Columnar, Weeping

Growth Rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Summer Deciduous

Fragrance

None

Flower Color

White, Yellow

Flowering Season

Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported

Bees, butterflies
Butterfly host plants

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 2 likely * ) SHOW ALL

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Neoterpes edwardsataNeoterpes edwardsata

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Low

Summer Irrigation

Never irrigate once established

Nurseries

Carried by 2

Soil Drainage

Fast, Medium

Soil Description

Prefers sandy or gravelly soil with fast drainage. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Companion Plants

Grows well with a variety of chaparral plants including Scrub Oaks, Manzanitas, Coyote Brush, Laurel Sumac, Chaparral Mallow, Toyon and Lemonade Berry

Maintenance

It is advisable to cut down to 6 inches in late summer of fall. Dried leaves and stalks make excellent mulch when chopped or broken up.

Propagation?

Usually by rhizomes during winter. Disturbing rhizomes at other times is usually fatal. Propagation by seeds is difficult.

Sunset Zones?

4*, 5*, 6, 7, 8*, 9*, 10, 11, 12, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

Dry washes and canyons as part of chaparral or coastal sage scrub

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 10.6" - 42.1", Summer Precipitation: 0.19" - 1.36", Coldest Month: 34.3" - 56.1", Hottest Month: 63.0" - 79.3", Humidity: 0.94" - 27.12", Elevation: 2" - 7069"

Print Plant Sign Print Plant Label

Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Bristly Matilija Poppy

Romneya trichocalyx

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Bristly Matilija PoppyRomneya trichocalyx

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Bristly Matilija Poppy

Romneya trichocalyx