Flower profile

Sun cup

Taraxia ovata

Native to California

Sun cup is a flowering plant. In California it's most often seen in bloom in February–April.

–states

9,172CA sightings*

9,191U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Taraxia ovata is a species of wildflower native to California and Oregon known by the common name goldeneggs or sun cup.
From Wikipedia's article Taraxia ovata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Onagraceae family. ^iNaturalist
NatureServe lists it as native to California. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 9,172 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #101 among the 110 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist

Sun cup gift ideas

Handmade sun cup 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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Sun cup art print
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Sun cup greeting card
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Sun cup mug
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Sun cup earrings
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Sun cup embroidery pattern
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Sun cup sticker
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When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in February–April.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,307 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: G3 Vulnerable 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: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: OR (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.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) 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 has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

More California flowers

California fuchsia

Epilobium canum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: July–December

Elegant clarkia

Clarkia unguiculata

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: April–July

California poppy

Eschscholzia californica

★ CA state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in CA: February–July

Sources

USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
iNaturalist, Taraxia ovata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Taraxia ovata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Taraxia ovata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Henrik Kibak via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.