Argemone mexicana (Mexican Prickly Poppy)

Argemone mexicana (Mexican Prickly Poppy) is an upright, prickly, annual or biennial boasting bright yellow, poppy-like flowers, 2.5 in. across (6 cm), with numerous yellow or reddish stamens. Blooming for weeks from mid-spring to early summer, the showy blooms sit atop smooth or slightly prickly stems. Resembling thistle leaves, the bluish-green leaves are toothed, spiny, and adorned with conspicuous gray-white veins. All parts of the plant release a milky latex sap when damaged. Easy to grow, deer resistant, Mexican Prickly Poppy will reseed and colonize, maintaining its presence in the garden. Its showy flowers make it a bright addition to the wildflower garden.

• Grows up to 8-18 in. tall (20-45 cm) and 4 in. wide (10 cm).
• Performs best in full sun in light well-drained soils. Deer resistant.
• Propagate by seed.
• Native to tropical America.
• Argemone mexicana is reported as invasive in many countries in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Americas, and Oceania (Australia and a number of Pacific island states).
• Toxicity: Argemone mexicana is highly toxic to humans and horses. All parts – including bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, seeds, and stems – contain isoquinoline alkaloids. Ingestion, especially of seeds, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, vision problems, fainting, and coma if large quantities are consumed. Contact dermatitis does not occur. Exercise caution. Poisonous flowers and plants: Identifying toxic risks around you
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