Fried Egg Poppy

Romneya coulteri. Also known as Coulter's Matilija Poppy, and California Tree Poppy. One of the largest and showiest California poppies. Large white petals with a crinkled texture surround yellow stamens, giving this poppy a bright, cheerful appearance which resembles a sunny-side up fried egg. Its flowers, which can be as large as 7 inches across, are attractive to bees and butterflies. The flowers have an apricot fragrance and the perennial shrubs are deer resistant. Hardy to zone 7. This plant can be challenging to establish, as it can suffer from both too much and too little water. Once established, however, it readily spreads by rhizomes and can soon outgrow its intended area. (Pulling shoots usually suffices to control it.) Plant in full sun in well-draining, sandy soil. Matilija Poppy is a low-water plant that does not need supplemental summer irrigation once established. Direct seed; transplanting almost always kills it, as does overwatering. It can be fussy to germinate, so requests will be filled with a larger amount of seed than normal. The seeds have double dormancy. Expose to liquid smoke, wood vinegar or white spirit for 24 hours, then mix with generous amount of sand and broadcast directly, sowing thinly, in late fall. Do not cover; light helps the seeds germinate. Check online for additional details on germinating this fussy but beautiful, deer resistant California native. This is an excellent native choice for stabilizing slopes and banks and erosion control. Wholesalers and erosion control specialists: large quantities of fresh 2025 seed available, up to 3.5 lbs (1.6 kg). Appx 30,000 seeds/oz (1050 seeds/gram). Contact me for pricing on larger quantities. Collected in Grass Valley, CA near the Grass Valley Sierra College Campus, happily growing in red clay with zero maintenance. Photo attributions: uwbotanicgardens, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons; CC0 Public Domain; Ghislain118 http://www.fleurs-des-montagnes.net, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons. No changes were made to the photos.