Photo of Romneya coulteri flower, form by Far Out Flora

Photo by Far Out Flora

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Buy Romneya coulteri

Also Known As

  • California Tree Poppy
  • Fried Egg Plant
  • Matilija Poppy

Plant type

shrub

size

  • H: 4'-6'
  • W: 4'

planting zones

  • 7a-9b

1 gallon | $25

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Romneya coulteri plant details

Romneya coulteri is a fast-growing broadleaf evergreen shrub with blue and green foliage. In fall, spring and summer white and yellow flowers emerge. Features glaucous texture. Drought tolerant once established. Adapts to various soil conditions. Does well in well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something heat tolerant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Romneya coulteri

Plant type: shrub
Plant family: papaveraceae
Foliage: evergreen blue and green
Mature size: 4 FT wide, 4 FT - 6 FT - tall
Flowers: white and yellow blooms in fall, spring and summer
Uses: cutting garden, easy-to-grow, xeric

GROWING CONDITIONS for Romneya coulteri

USDA Zones: 7a - 9b
Sun exposure: sun
Resistant to: heat
Soil needs: well-drained

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Nursery contributed plant descriptions

Exquisite, large, fragrant flowers with petals that look as if they are made of crinkled white silk surround the bright yellow stamens, giving them the appearance of fried eggs. Many individual stalks with grey-green leaves rise up to form large clumps up to 8 feet tall, though it can be difficult to establish once it is happy it can spread rapidly by underground rhizomes. Native to the dry canyons and coastal scrub of California. S/M-D-GDr
avail 4/15 (Matilija Poppy) We also call this the 'fried egg poppy'…6-8 foot tall stems with silver green foliage are topped all summer and fall with huge poppy flowers (up to 9"), with the most delicate, crinkled, tissue paper petals of the purest white
This unusual mini hosta plant is 6" high and 10" wide. The leaves are golden yellow with narrow green edges. The foliage is narrow, rippled and lance like. Lavender flowers bloom on 8" scapes mid summer. Very showy mini hosta for edging or rock garden.
Fried egg plant. This California native is perfectly hardy here. R. coulteri is a very adaptable sub shrub (will freeze to ground most years). This suckering shrub will grow in very dry soil or welldrained watered garden. The flowers are white crepe paper with yellow centers in May-June.
Romneya coulteri is an upright, blue-green foliaged poppy relative that is a semi-evergreen subshrub preferring a hot, sunny space in well-drained, crummy soil. For this you will be rewarded with an almost continuous display of large, pure white, crinkled petals with prominent raised yellow stamens that appear on the ends of each stem and look like large fried eggs sunny side up! Sometimes hard to establish and resents being moved - so choose the spot well! Cut back to the base in winter and mulch, if exposed.
This California native's gray-green deeply cut foliage and gold-centered crepe-papery-white flowers will dazzle any onlooker. Yes, kind of like fried eggs but that slightly dishonors this gorgeous flower. An egg should be so lucky. (Yes, okay, eggs are beautiful, too.) 4 feet tall and slowly spreading. No summer water! Minimum temperature: 0°F
Since this stalwart plant is somewhat difficult to establish, we cannot guarantee its success after you have received it. This lusty California lady serves up a generous portion of large, crepe-paperlike white flowers with showy yellow stamens, sunny-side up style. Wondrous lightly scented, 9 in. wide blooms festoon the upper reaches of stout, glabrous stems cloaked in irregularly lobed gray-green leaves. A shrubby, tough-as-nails perennial that spreads by vigorous rhizomes, the Matilija Poppy's native haunts include southern California's Coastal ranges and valleys, and in cultivation, wide beds, hillsides or other formidable sites suit her just fine. Undaunted by deer, poor soil and summer drought, she needs a lot of space, well drained soil, minimal root disturbance and an annual autumn cut back. Romneya coulteri does not like to have its roots disturbed. Transplant it very carefully into a larger container, like a gallon pot, before planting in the garden. Make sure you select a sunny, well-drained spot. Do not overwater.
Seldom is the pinnacle in beauty realized without a corresponding amount of work, but in the case of Romneya it is a lack of work that will get you to its beauty most successfully; appreciative of poor, dry soils, don?t irrigate. Large pristine white flowers crowned with a golden tuft of stamens will reward those who can refrain from coddling this remarkable species.
This popular evergreen shrub can grow from 8-10' tall and may grow extensively in width. It's expansive growth make it perfect for erosion control. Hailed as the prize of California's wildflowers, the Matilija poppy is definitely striking. The flowers are the largest of any species native to California, reaching 6-8" wide. The colossal papier-mâché flowers are white with a yellow center, blooming from July until mid-Fall, with a slight citrus scent in full bloom. Can be temperamental at the start, but once established the plant's flowers and foliage are truly beautiful. Nominated for the honor of state flower in 1890. Endemic to California. It is included in the CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants on list 4.2 (limited distribution). The flowers are attractive to bees, birds and butterflies. Applied topically to treat sunburn. Watery substance in the stalk used as a beverage. Found in found in dry washes and canyons away from the immediate coast. Communities located in Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub Between 1 and 4,000 feet.
Large white flowers up to 9" wide with crinkled petals borne May to July and blooming into autumn if watered. Cut back nearly to ground in late fall and new shoots will emerge after first winter rains.
Members of the poppy family (Papaveraceae) are found around the world, including some native to California. One of these, Eschscholzia californica, is a familiar annual which has been designated as the State Flower. Another spectacular native poppy is a much larger-growing perennial named Romneya coulteri, commonly called the Matilija Poppy. It has large flowers with crinkled white petals and a ball of yellow stamens at the center, and these flowers call to mind an egg cooked sunny side up. For this reason, the name “fried-egg bush” is sometimes encountered for this species. Romneya coulteri is one of the giants of the family, typically growing to 5 - 8 feet tall and spreading vigorously by suckers from the base. The leaves are bluish-green, dissected and rather jaggedy-edged. The bush dies back in the fall, and we prune it back to the base each year. With the arrival of warm weather in spring, new shoots grow up rapidly, and flowering commences in May and continues into the summer. Because of its tendency to spread aggressively, care must be taken in choosing a site for a Matilija Poppy. It should be allotted plenty of room, and should not be put next to small plants which might get smothered by its enthusiastic growth. However, plants need very little water, although a little supplemental watering can extend the flowering season. They can be propagated by digging rooted suckers, though these can be difficult to establish. Once off and running, they are not fussy, and they are not particular about soil type.
The Romneya in my yard is a large shrub that freezes to the ground every winter and comes back stronger spreading somewhat. The paper like large white flowers are spectacular. A California native, this plant needs very little water in the summer so I suspect that it is a West Coast plant.
Who doesn't want this? 6" white crepe paper Poppy flowers on woody stems clad in blue-green leaves. Loves hot dry sunny spots in crappy sandy gravelly soil and the deer don't eat it - are you kidding me? Hell, I'll take two. One is enough with water & food.
Native to the Coast Ranges & coastal valleys of Southern CA & making a spectacular plant-6’ to 8’ tall. Along the upper part of the thick gray-green stems are displayed huge (up to 9” across) slightly scented, white, crepe-papery, “poppy” flowers with glossy, yellow stamens. Bloom season is from late Spring to Summer (or Fall if watered). Best used in marginal areas-since it spreads so vigorously from rhizomes-like on a hillside, along a roadside, or a very large border. Tolerates many soils & needs no Summer water. Cut back to base in Fall & new shoots will emerge with first rains.

By: Annie's Annuals & Perennials

Also known as 'fried egg plant' for its huge white flowers in late summer that look just like that. This is a big plant, fast-growing to 5' tall and forming large clumps of stalks with blue-green foliage and those fabulous flowers. HOT, DRY, DROUGHTY neglect is what it wants and lots of space. Frost hardy in USDA zone 7.

Gardening facts about Romneya coulteri plant

How to Grow Romneya coulteri

  • Sun Exposure

    • sun
  • Water Needs

    • drought tolerant
  • Soil Needs

    • adaptable
    • well-drained
  • Special Situation

    • heat tolerant

Features

  • Foliage Color

    • green
    • blue
  • Flower Color

    • white
    • yellow
  • Flower Season

    • spring
    • summer
    • fall
  • Foliage Season

    • evergreen
  • Texture

    • glaucous
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