Parish's Poppy
Eschscholzia parishii
Color: Yellow to gold
Common name: Parish's Poppy
Latin name: Eschscholzia parishii
Family: PAPAVERACEAE
Height: 2-12 inches
Description: The flower with its 8-30mm petals, has long-pointed buds without hairs. Stems are also without hairs, bright green to yellow-green. The plant is sometimes covered with a waxy, whitish or blueish film that is easily rubbed off.
Leaf: Segments 1.5 mm
Range: s Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert
Habitat: Desert slopes, hillsides
Elevation: 0–1200 m.
Flowering time: Mar–Apr
Notes: Although not as well known as its easily recognized larger cousin the California poppy, this showy flower decorates many desert roadsides. Eschscholzia parishii, a dicot, is an annual herb that is native to California and is also found outside of California, but is confined to western North America.
We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.
Photo tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.
Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...
What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports
Related DesertUSA Pages
- How to Turn Your Smartphone into a Survival Tool
- 26 Tips for Surviving in the Desert
- Death by GPS
- 7 Smartphone Apps to Improve Your Camping Experience
- Maps Parks and More
- Desert Survival Skills
- How to Keep Ice Cold in the Desert
- Desert Rocks, Minerals & Geology Index
- Preparing an Emergency Survival Kit
Share this page on Facebook:
The Desert Environment
The North American Deserts
Desert Geological Terms
