Description

This selection of the matilija poppy was introduced by Theodore Payne. It appears to be a hybrid between the commonly available Romneya coulteri and the rarely available Romneya tricocalyx. The two plants share the same range and cultural requirements. They are extremely similar in appearance. R. ticocalyx is said to have more prominent bristles on its sepals. ‘White Cloud’ has larger flowers and is somewhat shorter than R. coulteri. It arises from winter dormancy with straight vertical shoots of deeply lobed, gray-green leaves. These will be topped with the large “sunny-side-up” flowers which make the matilija poppy so popular. The transition into the landscape is eased by fall planting, minimal root disturbance and light summer watering.