Safety note: Toxic if ingested; sap can irritate eyes and skin.
Mexican Prickly Poppy is a spiny-leaved annual or biennial with large, showy white or yellow flowers native to dry disturbed habitats throughout the Southwest and Mexico. It colonizes roadsides, overgrazed areas, and desert washes. Large carpenter bees and solitary bees collect pollen from the numerous stamens. The plant is avoided by livestock due to its toxicity.
Habitat
Dry disturbed areas, roadsides, and desert washes in the Southwest
Diet
Pollen collected by large carpenter bees and native solitary bees
How common
Common
Recent Mexican Prickly Poppy sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a Mexican Prickly Poppy? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant or animal and get an instant ID, rarity, and field notes — building your personal nature collection as you go.
Get Huck — free