We grew up hearing about Chief Matilija and his group of warriors who tried to fight off the ever-present armies. In the myth, the story goes on to tell of Chief Matilija’s daughter, Amatil, who was very much in love with the handsome warrior, Cocopah. Tragically, he was killed in the final battle. Amatil’s love was so deep and so pure that she laid upon her lover and there she died. What remained of that love was a beautiful flower with pure white petals symbolizing their love and a yellow center to represent the everlasting brilliance of their love. We know this flower as the Matilija Poppy.
— Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, My Chumash Ancestral Legacy
On a bend in the Santa Ynez River, at the confluence with an arroyo, a small meadow lies hidden behind a skirt of oak, sycamore, mule fat, yerba santa and other riparian residents.
Trace specks of clamshell midden and chipped stone lay here or there in patches of rocky soil amidst the grasses.
Along the edge of the meadow, where the grassy flat falls away toward the river just below, several clumps of Matilija poppies grow.
“This species is relatively rare in nature but is very commonly grown in gardens,” the California Native Plant Society notes in their book, Wildflowers of California.
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Jack Elliott's Santa Barbara Adventure 
Jack,
This will be of interest:
Fees, the money going to blood-sucking bedbugs…
Don S
Thanks,
Don.
Thank you for sharing Jack.
I enjoy your writings.
-Bard
Bard Salcido M.Ed Admin History Teacher Dos Pueblos Senior High School Home of the “Chargers”
Hey Bard. Thanks for stopping by. Haven’t heard from you here in awhile.
Yes, it’s easily grown once established in the garden. In fact, it’s unstoppable. Getting it started from seed, though, is challenging as you have to recreate the conditions after a wildfire. I’ve had much better success transplanting root cuttings when it’s dormant in the early winter.
I didn’t see where to log in to share my “anonymous” comment.