The Coulter's Matilija poppy (Romneya coulteri), a California/Baja native plant, is a paradox. It is described as both “difficult to grow” and “invasive.” How can that be?

Years ago, I decided the poppy was the plant for me because of the second attribute. I bought a one-gallon pot at the California Native Plant Society sale, took it home, planted it, and it promptly died. How deflating! What did I do wrong?

The Matilija poppy thrives in full sun and needs very little water. As a California native, it is drought tolerant. I had planted mine in partial shade and didn't give it enough water. Even plants that thrive in dry landscapes need water until they are established. Live and learn.

Why is the Matilija poppy considered invasive? It's because this plant sends out rhizomes that spread underground. If you don't want it to take over your yard, cut back any sprouts that appear. If you want to propagate it, dig up the sprouts and plant them, or give them to friends. The small sprouts have the best chance of success.

Supposedly, you can also take cuttings from the thickest part of the stem and propagate those, but the chances of success are lower than when you carefully transplant the small volunteers. It's best to plant these sprouts in the fall.

You can grow the Matilija poppy from seed, but it's a challenge. The seeds will not sprout if you simply drop them on the ground. People who successfully grow Matilija poppies from seed follow a complicated, almost occult, ritual that involves burning pine needles over a heap of seeds to simulate the fire- and smoke-damaged landscape where the poppies are often found. That method seems risky in our climate, so I recommend buying the plant from a native plant nursery or growing it from sprouted rhizomes.

When you get your plant, don't disturb the roots. Cut out the bottom of the pot, put the pot in the planting hole—with sandy, well-drained soil—and then cut the side of the pot and slide it off. Give the plant water regularly until it is established. After that, don't water.

The UC Master Gardeners of Mariposa have a series on YouTube called “Propagating California Native Plants.” The first video in the series is on the Matilija poppy. Master Gardener Helen Willoughy-Peck walks the viewer through the process of “smoking” the seeds (which she shakes from an adorable dried seed pod). It looks like something I could do without burning off my eyebrows, but she then shows an easier way—with a bottle of Liquid Smoke! You want the genuine article that only contain water and smoke. Just sprinkle it on the seeds, which should be on top of a soil-filled pot, cover the seeds with shredded paper and a saucer and put the pot in the garden to overwinter. Plant the seeds in the spring.

I was reminded of this plant when I visited the Saintsbury winery garden in Carneros a few months ago. They have Matilija poppies planted next to an office (with western exposure) and along a fence with roses. The poppies get plenty of sun and seem quite happy.

This shrub can grow to more than eight feet tall and just as wide. It has blue-gray leaves and flowers that are six to eight inches across—the largest blooms of any California native. The petals look like white silk crepe and are arranged around a fluffy yellow center, giving the appearance of a sunny-side-up egg. A large shrub covered with these blooms in early summer is a showstopper in any garden.

At Saintsbury the Matilija poppies share space with other natives and English roses, and it is a felicitous arrangement because the poppy dries out after blooming and is undistinguished looking. It is a deciduous plant. UC Master Gardener Wes Janssen recommends cutting it back to six inches in late fall. Chop up the pruned stems and leaves and use as mulch around the base.

The Matilija poppy attracts butterflies and bees and has a pleasant scent. If you want it for a flower arrangement, cut it in the bud stage, as the cut flower is short-lived.

This flower has an interesting history. Its name comes from a Chumash indigenous leader, Chief Matilija. The Chumash once lived in the area that stretches from Morro Bay to Malibu, concentrated near what is now Santa Barbara. But the botanical name is Romneya coulteri, so who were Romney and Coulter?

Dr. Thomas Coulter was an Irish botanist who traveled to Mexico in the 1830s. He must have been an adventurous person. After failing at running a mine and then experiencing a political coup, Coulter found the spectacular poppy that had been used medicinally by the native people for centuries (for stomach and gum ailments). Supposedly a grove of poppies guards the grave of the chief's daughter, in the hills above Matilija Canyon, near Ojai. Coulter latinized the name of his good friend, the Irish astronomer Dr. Thomas Romney Robinson, for the poppy's botanical name.

The Matilija poppy was a strong contender to be the state flower of California. The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) won. It is just as invasive but easier to cultivate. However, there are many, many Matilija poppies in Napa Valley, enlivening the cultivated and wild landscape. Our Mediterranean climate and soil are perfect for them. They are also deer resistant.

I think I will give the Matilija poppy another try in my yard next year. That's the best thing about gardening—there's always next year.

Workshop: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for a “Water-Wise Plant Show” on Wednesday, October 16, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, at the Pelusi Building, 2296 Streblow Drive in Napa. Local landscape designers will demonstrate that drought-tolerance is anything but boring. Register here.

Workshop: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for a workshop on “Fall Garden Clean-up” on Saturday, October 26, at Las Flores Learning Garden, 4300 Linda Vista Avenue, Napa. Learn how we put the various garden plots to bed for the winter. There will be hands-on activities so you can learn how to implement these techniques in your own garden. Register here.

Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your garden questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 am until 1 pm at the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description.