Summer Wildflowers: Prickly Poppy
I have been seeing prickly poppies (Argemone polyanthemos) everywhere for the last couple weeks - they stand out from Colorado’s dry, red soils easily with their giant white flowers!
Photo Source: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Flickr
Prickly poppies are large plants with spiny, blue-green leaves and large, white flowers with bright yellow centers that bloom from April to August. The petals look crumpled, and if it weren’t for the rest of the plant - which can grow 3-4 feet tall - they could be mistaken for abandoned tissues! However, this beautiful plant is an iconic species of central, south, and southwestern Colorado (although these poppies, and their close relatives, are found from the Great Plains to the southern US); they are well-adapted to drought and live in dry soils and roadsides.
Photo Source: PlantNet
Poisonous Plant Alert: all parts of the plants, including seeds, are poisonous if ingested; additionally, be careful when handling the plants, as the spines of the plant contain substances that irritate the skin.
Despite its poisonous properties, the Shoshone, Paiute, Tepehuan, Comanche, Hopi, and Aztec peoples used prickly poppies for treating cold sores, cuts, and scrapes, among other medicinal uses; some Indigenous cultures used prickly poppies to create dyes and tattoos! There are many interesting compounds found in prickly poppies that give them their antibacterial and wound healing properties (along with many other uses).
While certain plants and trees take up pollutants as well as water and nutrients through their roots, I did not know prickly poppies were one of these until I was fact-checking this blog! According to the Colorado Plant Database, prickly poppies “can absorb toxic substances such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants from the water, air, and soil.”
Native bees and other pollinators are commonly found enjoying prickly poppies; as written by Jeff Mitton, CU Boulder professor emeritus, “Prickly poppy's large flowers and abundant pollen attract many pollinators, but spines and an elaborate defensive pharmacy protect leaves, stems and seed pods from herbivores.” These relationships give prickly poppies a unique role in Colorado’s ecosystems!
