Fall is Time to Plant Matilija Poppies- yes, now is finally planting time for these matilija poppies. There are actually two matilija poppies species both very similar and we won’t sweat the small stuff. The have a reputation of being hard to plant but once they establish it’s off they go! The reputation is well deserved if you plant in the wrong time of the year and plant incorrectly. The right time to plant is fall through mid-winter. Plant them in full sun and when planting don’t break the root ball. Water your new poppies 1x/week for the first year. If you can do these few things they are easy to establish. The problems occur when people try to plant outside of the fall mid-winter planting season when they see the beautiful flowers in bloom. You have to plant these before they flower.
Maintenance is nothing. Once established after about a year they can be almost aggressive (should read they are aggressive). In summer when they are done flowering I cut them to the ground so the area look neat. The new growth in late fall comes quickly. The flowers are fragrant and can create an exceptional flower arrangement.
