San Francisco Botanical Garden - Gardens

Dendromecon hartfordii

"California Tree Poppy"

Look for Dendromecon harfordiiat the Entrance Border (West end of the North Side).

Scientific Name	Dendromecon hartfordii
Common Name	California Tree Poppy
Family	Papaveraceae
Plant Type	Perennial, evergreen shrub or small tree. Can grow up to 20'
Environment	Coarse, well-drained soil, full sun. Drought tolerant once established.
Bloom	Free flowering July - April. Scattered flowers throughout the rest of the year. Blooms smell like melon candy.
Uses	Flowers attract nectar-loving insects and birds; also offers some cover. High ornamental value, since flowers and foliage are attractive in all seasons with little water or care.
More Info	Jepson Flora Project Nevin Smith's article in California Native Plant Society's journal, Fremontia (PDF 2.9 MB)

Profile Contributor: Fred Bové

Nothing is cheerier for a hiker to see as he trudges through the dry chaparral of the California foothills than a tree poppy in full bloom. They thrive there along with their drought companions, manzanita and coffeeberry, and grow from Sonoma County all the way down to Baja California and the Channel Islands, needing a hot sun, mild winters, and good drainage.

The shrubs can reach fifteen feet, "lighting up hillsides," according to botanist Nevin Smith, having tough, evergreen leaves with a bluish tint that gives them sun protection. The blooms though smaller in size than the California poppy, and more yellow than orange, have the same exuberant flush of stamens in their centers and the same satiny touch to their petals.

Dendromecon harfordii is endemic to Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Islands with leaves entire, (without teeth) and rounded tips. D. rigida, more often called "bush poppy," grows on the mainland, is smaller in size, with leaves finely toothed and sharp tips. The seeds develop within a capsule and explode when ready, flinging seeds in all directions.