I’ll forever be in love with California golden poppies, but I think these coastal tidy tips are a close second! It was so fun to paint these sunshine-y wildflowers endemic to California.

I used a wet-on-wet watercolor technique to create the iconic yellow petals with white tips. That means I got my paper wet with water before applying my paint. This allows the paint to organically run in the water, creating a soft, tapered end to the yellow paint.

I ended up painting 28 of these flowers, between two pieces, using this technique and I won’t lie to you…it’s so satisfying. 

Coastal tidy tips are a daisy — meaning they have a “composite flower head.” That just means it’s really a bunch of tiny flowers grouped together to make one bigger flower. These flowers are about 2 inches in diameter, and are often found blooming with other spring wildflowers throughout California’s low elevation dry habitats. 

Tidy tips attract many different insects and pollinators, but they’re nectar is particularly important for the federally threatened Bay Checkerspot butterflies that are endemic to California. 

That makes these the perfect native plant for a home garden in California — and I’ll add, they look gorgeous next to California poppies! By planting these flowers, you’re helping to sustain habitat for endemic species that rely on this plant! 

How cool is that? You can find these seeds online. 

What native plants could you plant to protect your local habitat? 

Prints and stickers of this piece are available in my shop! Snag some here or shop wholesale here.

XOXO,

Hannah