As rain fell on the Altadena Forever Mug Run Sunday morning, an anonymous donor approached Altadena activist René Amy and made a pledge that completed his improbable dream: $5,000 to help Amy blanket fire-scarred Altadena with California poppy seeds, to restore Altadena’s glorious carpet of a flower once so dense its poppy fields were visible to Spanish sailors off the coast of California (over 20 miles away), a distinct golden patch on the foothills known as La Sabanilla de San Pascual, the “Altar Cloth of San Pasqual.”
Amy said Sunday that the donation, which made the stranger a “silver sponsor” of The Great Altadena Poppy Project, closed a funding gap that had threatened to leave hundreds of properties whose owners asked Amy to “poppify” them — without seeds.
When combined with smaller contributions, Amy reported that he can now purchase 250 million poppy seeds—more than double his original goal of 100 million.
A Shortfall That Needed Closing
When Amy launched the project in November, he figured perhaps 200 to 300 fire-ravaged properties might sign up for what he called free “poppification.” He purchased 120 million seeds.
But registrations kept climbing. Past 500. Past 600. More than 650 properties have now signed up, with new requests arriving daily.
Amy realized he would need at least another 130 million seeds.
“Man, oh man, was I wrong,” Amy said in a statement Sunday, reflecting on how wildly the project had exceeded his expectations.
Three bronze sponsors had already stepped forward: the Altadena Rotary Club, Realtex Builders, and Altadena Grocery Outlet, each contributing $1,000. But $3,000 buys approximately 45 million seeds — vital to the project, yet far short of what was needed.
Then came the stranger in the rain.
From the Ashes of a Seed Business
The project carries particular weight because of who is behind it. Amy, a contractor and longtime Altadena community activist, lost both his home and his business — Altadena Maid Products, a wildflower seed company — when the Eaton Fire swept through the canyon community on January 7, 2025. The blaze, which ignited at 6:18 p.m. in Eaton Canyon, would go on to destroy 9,414 structures and claim at least 19 lives.
This is the painful irony of a man who once sold native wildflower seeds through Etsy and local markets now purchasing them anew — to give away for free — after losing his entire inventory to the flames.
Yet within days of losing everything, Amy was volunteering at the Pasadena Convention Center shelter, distributing ShelterBox supplies while still wearing borrowed clothing.
A ShelterBox USA Ambassador whose work earned him the President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2020, Amy has spent nearly four decades in community activism — experience that prepared him for this moment, even if nothing could have prepared him for its personal cost.
Restoring the ‘Altar Cloth of San Pasqual’
The project carries historical resonance that extends beyond recovery. In the early 1900s, Altadena was marketed nationally for its vast poppy fields, which earned the poetic name “the Altar Cloth of San Pasqual.”
Visitors traveled from across the country to witness the golden blooms carpeting the foothills.
“Altadena was once a destination for those seeking the beauty of our golden poppy fields,” said Veronica Jones, president of the Altadena Historical Society, one of several organizations partnering with the project.
The Altadena Rotary Club, Altadena Chamber of Commerce, Altadena Heritage, and Amigos de los Rios have all joined the effort. Altadena Troop 1 Scouts have been packing seed packets and will help sow them across registered properties.
“What a great opportunity for Scouts to help others, to learn a bit of history, and to learn more about Nature,” said Scoutmaster Rose Cortez, the troop’s leader.
A Dash of Purple, Too
With the funding now secured, Amy is adding one more flourish.
“Because I’m more than a bit nuts,” he wrote, “I’ll also be buying more Arroyo Lupine seeds to add a dash of complementary colors — and to extend the availability of nectar for pollinators.”
The California poppy, the state flower, requires no special permits for propagation.
With seeds sown by late November — identified as the optimal planting window for native wildflowers — Amy expects the blooms to emerge in spring 2026.
“It’s going to be an amazing spring in Altadena,” Amy wrote.
Amy expects Altadena’s poppy superbloom to draw attention from around the world — a powerful symbol of what he called “the town’s remarkable resilience.”
Property owners who wish “poppification” can register at: forms.gle/qKHUL3MQNMqCpuf5A
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