Flower profile
Las vegas bear-poppy
Arctomecon californica
Las vegas bear-poppy is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Nevada it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Nevada
Quick look
Arctomecon californica is a species of poppy known by several common names, including California bearpoppy, Las Vegas bearpoppy, golden bearpoppy, and yellow-flowered desert poppy. It is a perennial herb that is native to the eastern Mojave Desert.
- It belongs to the Papaveraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 3 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Nevada. NatureServe
- In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,036 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #27 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist
Las vegas bear-poppy gift ideas
Handmade las vegas bear-poppy gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Las vegas bear-poppy art print
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Las vegas bear-poppy greeting card
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Las vegas bear-poppy mug
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Las vegas bear-poppy earrings
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Las vegas bear-poppy embroidery pattern
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Las vegas bear-poppy sticker
When does it bloom?
In Nevada, most flowering sightings come in March–May.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS ECOS does track it with the label “Resolved Taxon,” which is informal and gives no legal protection. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G1 Critically imperiled worldwide. NatureServe
- Nevada
- Fully protected On Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010): fully protected (critically endangered). NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in Nevada. NAC 527.010
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AZ (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Please don't pick or dig this flower: it's on Nevada's rare plant list (fully protected); NatureServe ranks it S3 in Nevada. NAC 527.010 NatureServe
Can you eat it?
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.
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 las vegas bear-poppy in 3 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, Nevada, Utah.
Nevada counties with USDA records: Clark.
More Nevada flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ARCA4.
- iNaturalist, Arctomecon californica: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Arctomecon californica (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
- Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Arctomecon californica (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Dominic Gentilcore via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.