Dendromecon rigida

Bush poppy

Family: Papaveraceae · Type: shrub · Native

Bush poppy is a California native shrub found in southern northwestern California, the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, central western California, southwestern California, and western edge of the Sonoran Desert in dry slopes and washes, especially on recently burned areas at elevations below 1,900 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces bright yellow flowers with large petals 2 to 3 centimeters wide. Growing 1 to 3 meters tall with an upright, dense branching structure, it forms a distinctive woody shrub that thrives in fire-prone landscapes. Its narrow, elongated leaves measure 2.5 to 10 centimeters long and 0.7 to 2.5 centimeters wide, providing a silvery-green backdrop to its vivid blossoms. The fruit develops into elongated capsules 5 to 10 centimeters long, containing small seeds about 2 to 2.5 millimeters in size.

Habitat: dry slopes, washes, especially recent burns

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: < 1900 m

Bioregions: s NW, CaR, SN, CW (exc ChI), SW, w edge DSon

California counties: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Riverside, Ventura, San Diego, Kern, Monterey, Placer, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, San Bernardino, Tulare, Santa Clara, Fresno, Butte, Orange, Plumas, Mariposa, Sonoma, Shasta, Lake, Napa, El Dorado, Calaveras, Marin, Mendocino, Glenn, Contra Costa, San Benito, Nevada, Amador, Tuolumne, Alameda, Mono

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.