Plants with personalities

Californian tree poppy

The Californian bush poppy, when it is carrying its huge white silky blossoms with their boss of golden anthers, plays everything else off the garden ‘stage’. When this fine plant with its silvery-green, elegantly shaped leafage was first introduced, it was given greenhouse treatment. Since then (1875), it has been found that Romneya coulteri is capable of braving English weather.

This plant should be pruned severely in April, and even when so snubbed it manages to attain 5ft (1.5m) of graceful growth. Pruning is not necessary in the favoured south-west, where it generally survives the winter unharmed and then, naturally, makes a taller plant, often attaining 7-8ft (2.1-2.4m).

If you grow it is worthwhile looking at the blossoms at night. You will be