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In Bloom

Dendromecon hartfordii

"California Tree Poppy"

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

Location 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.

Contributors: Docents Joanne Taylor and Kathy McNeil

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Magnolia campbellii January	Magnolia denudata February	Magnolia x veitchii March
Iris douglasiana April	Aesculus californica May	Vaccinium ovatum June

Acer palmatum 'Sango kaku' January	Magnolia campbellii 'Darjeeling' February	Bomarea spp. March
Rhododendron occidentale April	Polystichum munitum May	x Chiranthofremontia lenzii June
Salvia leucantha July	Hydrangea seemannii August	Wollemia nobilis September
Cyathea cooperi October	Pinus radiata November	Correa spp. December

Garrya elliptica January	Magnolia x soulangeana February	Senecio glastifolius March
Ribes spp. April	Oxalis oregana May	Calandrinia grandiflora June
Taxus baccata July	Romneya coulteri August	Passiflora parritae September
Malvaviscus arboreus October	Monterey Cypress November	Aloe arborescens December

Aloe plicatilis January	Banksia seminuda February	Zantedeschia aethiopica March
Magnolia laevifolia April	Araucaria heterophylla May	Toxicodendron diversilobum June
Clarkia sp. July	Agapanthus August	Brugmansia September
Cedrus spp. October	Protea repens November	Camellia sinensis December

Thujopsis dolabrata January	Gordonia longicarpa February	Rojasianthe superba March
Echium spp. April	Iris douglasiana May	Digitalis purpurea June
Felicia amelloides July	Ceroxylon quindiuense August	Amaryllis belladonna September
Ginkgo biloba October	Acer morrisonense November	Ilex aquifolium December

Picea sitchensis January	Telanthophora grandifolia February	Aeonium arboreum 'Schwartzkopf' March
Leptospermum April	Salvia gesneraeflora May	Lavandula spp. June
Pelargonium July	Fuchsia paniculata August	Luma apiculata September
Luculia October	Arbutus unedo November	Cycad December

Restionaceae January	Hellebores February	Ceanothus March
Rhododendron April	Psoralea pinnata May	Fremontodendron californicum June
Leucadendron argenteum July	Crocosmia August	Gunnera tinctoria September
Pellaea rotundifolia October	Fuchsia boliviana November	Erica canaliculata December

Magnolia campbelli January	Magnolia denudata February	Camellia March
Geranium maderense April	Acmena smithii May	Eschscholzia californica June
Dendromecon harfordii July	Romneya coulteri August	Eupatorium purpureum September
Epilobium canum sp. October	Grevillea spp. November	Drimys winteri December