Bloomipedia
Bush poppy (Dendromecon rigida)
Photo: Elliott Gordon via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Bush poppy

Dendromecon rigida

Bush poppy (Dendromecon rigida) is a shrub or small tree in the Papaveraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–June across the U.S.

Native to California

Bush poppy is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

1states where USDA records it
11,954CA sightings*
11,954U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Dendromecon rigida, also called bush poppy or tree poppy, is a shrub or small tree of the Papaveraceae native to California and Baja California.

  • It belongs to the Papaveraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 1 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to California. NatureServe
  • In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 11,954 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #71 among the 178 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in March–June.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,871 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
California
Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records bush poppy in 1 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California.

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

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 32 counties across 1 states; the most are in California (32).

More from the Papaveraceae family (16 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Bloodroot, California poppy, Dutchman's breeches, Greater celandine, Pacific bleeding heart, Celandine poppy, Squirrel corn, Yellow corydalis.

More California flowers

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

California poppy

Eschscholzia californica

★ CA state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in CA: March–May
California buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum)

California buckwheat

Eriogonum fasciculatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: April–July
Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia)

Toyon

Heteromeles arbutifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: June–August

Sources