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" The Matilija Poppy must be conceded the queen of all flowers . " — Mary Elizbeth Parsons , The Wild Flowers of California , 1897 .
" [ Romneyais ] the sightly industrial plant that ever came to our land from that res publica of flowers , California . " — William Robinson , The English Garden , 1921 .
Romneya coulteriin bloom at Washington Park ’s Shakespeare Garden , Portland , Ore. Photo by : Anna Laurent .
Matilija poppy ( pronounced ma - til - EE - ha ) are fondly referred to as the fried testicle peak , nickname for bleached - muslin petal and larder yellow stamens that would n’t be out of post on a breakfast plate . The petal are somewhat wrinkled , as if they have n’t yet ironed themselves for the sidereal day . aboriginal to coastal kitchen range and valleys of Southern California & Baja Mexico , the Matilija ( Romneya coulteri ) unfolds with a dazzling cheery mug when planted in full sun . Blooming begins in early May , and sweeps north along the west coast — the poppy are now still blooming in Oregon ’s summertime sunlight .
The flower was a rival for the title of state flower of California in 1890 , but was overcome by the smaller , orange California poppy ( Eschscholzia californica ) . Matilija yet remains a fixture in many California garden , where it is alternately praise and scolded for its doggedness — it will take over a garden , but at least it ’s so pretty . adapt to harsh conditions of the bush , matilijas are good at colonise after a burn , seeding prolifically , and develop all-inclusive root system . The steel - downcast foliage is leathery , as you would expect of a drought - know plant .
Romneya coulteriseed seedcase . Photo by : Anna Laurent .
Each flower is about four column inch long , with a show - stopping eight inches as the largest on record . It ’s the turgid bloom of any poppy , and also of California aboriginal plant life , harmonize to the California Native Plant Society . The plant is a repeated shrublet that develops woody stems and a span of up to seven across and six feet improbable . Cut all woody stanch to the priming coat in the free fall or wintertime , and the plant will grow from rootstock next time of year .
search for the cum pods in the coming calendar month . Seeds will begin dispersing when the pods move around teetotal and brown , and the sides arch outwards to create gap at the top . When empty , a strip seed seedpod resemble a hollow bird cage . Until then , it will rock with hundreds of seeds , as poppies incline to do . The Matilija may have lost the title of California flower , but it the only poppy with a breakfast bloom to go with its table salt & pepper shaker seed pod .
relate : The Remembrance Poppy
