Prickly Poppy

This was a delightful find!  This is a prickly poppy.  I didn’t know this type of flower existed until I found this one by happenstance.

On our recent trip to Custer State Park in South Dakota, we had pulled over in the area of a small prairie dog town.  As I was trying to get some good photos of the prairie dogs, I noticed this white flower.  It was the only one in that area.  I believe I found this particular bloom at its peak.  We have poppies at our home in northeast Wisconsin but they are the large, redish-orange variety that have a very short blooming period in early spring.  Finding this delicate white flower on a prickly plant blooming in late summer was a nice surprise.

From the little I was able to find online, the prickly poppy is a beautiful wildflower that lives for only one growing season. It grows naturally in sandy, dry areas. New plants grow from seed produced the previous year. The papery white flowers bloom throughout the summer.  The plant has blue-green leaves and the stems are covered with sharp spines.

You can get a better view of the details in this flower image by clicking on the photo.

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