Argemone munita

Short lived perennial. A very thorny plant that is nearly unweedable. Why do we grow it? It has 3" white flowers much like Matilija poppy and is excellent in desert gardens or mountain sites. We don't recommend it for formal gardens as it has the potential of being a very troublesome weed. If you have a rocky area in full sun where little will grow anyway this one's good. It never seems to be at the same spot twice (maybe we should call it light'n thorn?). I've seen it at 3000' - 5000' in the central coast ranges. It grows in loam-clay to rocky-gravel. Rainfall is about 20 inches.