Seeds will require a fire treatment to germinate. This can be done with a material developed in a nursery in South Africa. It is not the heat of the fire but chemicals in the smoke of the fire which overcome the resistance to germination. This chemical has been impregnated into a paper which when soaked in water is released. Seeds then soaked in the water before planting will germinate when planted. Look up South African nursery specialists and you can order the paper discs. Romneya coulteri will not do well in clay soil but will grow with abandon in a sandy soil. Most of us propagate it by digging up rooted suckers from around the mother plant, which will grow readily. You should be able to find one gallon plants in most native plant nurseries in Sonoma county. Al

Hmm.. I'll see if I can locate some actual plants then, since I am not sure how well the chemical process will work.

May be he can dig out and install a sandy soil area for the plants.

Thanks!

Paul

Paul, Sonoma county has both sandy soil areas and areas of blue clay. If he is in the Sebastopol area the soil is sandy enough. If in the Windsor area I would suggest planting on a raised bed of hauled in sandy soil. Al

a friend and i tried that seed treated with fire a few years back. We got a good fire going (following Sunset book directions) but nothing ever happened. Try a native plant nursery like CalFora in Fulton. Penny

Plenty of nurseries around with that plant. Grows so easily in well-grown pot that seed is inefficient. Hopefully your "friend" understands that plant and has room for it.

Dan