Channel Island Bush Poppy is a ray of sunshine

Did you know that California is home to dozens of beautiful poppy species?

Their names are as colorful as their blooms: Prickly Poppy, Wind Poppy, Fire Poppy, Matilija Poppy and, of course, the famous California Poppy, our state flower.

However, one of our best poppies for the garden is strangely one of the lesser known: the Channel Island Bush Poppy.

As the name suggests, this sweet canary-yellow poppy adorns an evergreen shrub rather than occurring as a spring wildflower, as do so many of its cousins. The foliage has a blue tinge in the green that pleasantly contrasts with the yellow flowers.

The shrub can reach as much as 10 feet in height and width. Larger sizes generally occur when the shrub is positioned with some afternoon cover.

In spring the Island Bush Poppy is often the highlight of any garden it graces, filling shady corners and sunny exposures alike with exuberant yellow sunshine.

Best of all, this poppy shrub is an ever-bloomer!

It does not handle frost well, but keep it where there is good airflow and drainage and it will likely display its charming blooms throughout the summer and winter.

Do not confuse the Island Bush Poppy (Dendromecon harfordii) with the Continental Bush Poppy (Dendromecon rigida), a much less attractive shrub that will tolerate higher elevations and lower temperatures but does not have the garden charm of its island cousin or as long a bloom period.

Clayton Tschudy is an ecological landscape designer and the assistant manager of Las Pilitas Native Plant Nursery in Escondido.