How old can a Matillija Poppy bush be?

[Anonymous]

I have a question: How old can a Matillija Poppy bush be? Does it grow form the center and stay in the same spot for centuries? How would I determine the age of a large M. Poppy bush? We have a bush on a vacant lot in our neighborhood which may have been there for a very long time. Any help with this inquiry would be appreciated.

Thank you,

William Bruner</p>

[Anonymous]

William -I do not know how old a Matilija Poppy can be. University Nevada at Las Vegas has a nice description on the internet. Type in Matilija Poppy as the search term and you should get at least five pages of results which will typically be photos and descriptions of the plant. The populations around El Portal have been existence for many years and number several hundred plants, presumably from several parent plants which were homestead remnants. Ben</p>