
Flower profile
Thistle poppy
Argemone polyanthemos
Thistle poppy is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
Quick look
Argemone polyanthemos, the crested pricklypoppy, also known as bluestem prickly poppy, pricklypoppy, white prickly poppy, annual pricklypoppy, or as thistle poppy is an annual plant with yellow sap and showy white flowers in the poppy family (Papaveraceae).
- It belongs to the Papaveraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 16 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado and Nebraska. NatureServe
- In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
- In Nebraska, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 3,461 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #39 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 445 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #16 among the 108 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist
Thistle poppy gift ideas
Handmade thistle 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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Thistle poppy art print
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Thistle poppy greeting card
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Thistle poppy mug
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Thistle poppy earrings
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Thistle poppy embroidery pattern
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Thistle poppy sticker
When does it bloom?
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
- Colorado
- No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Colorado.
- Nebraska
- Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
- 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?
USDA PLANTS rates its toxicity as “moderate.” (USDA's rating covers people and livestock and doesn't say which parts.) NC State Extension has no page for it. USDA PLANTS
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 thistle poppy in 16 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
Colorado counties with USDA records: Baca, Boulder, Cheyenne, Clear Creek, Denver, El Paso, Elbert, Gilpin, Huerfano, Jefferson, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Montezuma, Morgan, Otero, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld, Yuma.
Nebraska counties with USDA records: Arthur, Banner, Box Butte, Boyd, Brown, Buffalo, Chase, Cherry, Cuming, Custer, Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dundy, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Gage, Garden, Grant, Hall, Harlan, Hitchcock, Holt, Hooker, Jefferson, Kearney, Knox, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Morrill, Perkins, Red Willow, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sioux, Thomas, Webster.
More Colorado flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ARPO2.
- iNaturalist, Argemone polyanthemos: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Argemone polyanthemos (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
- Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
- Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Argemone polyanthemos (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: USDA PLANTS.
- Photo: Tyler via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.


