The
Golden Bear Claw Poppy
Desert wildflowers show some of the most spectacular color. These beauties
seem to shout to pollinating bees, butterflies, humming birds and even flies to
come and visit. The spectacular long stemmed, delicate and large flowers
of the Golden Bear Claw Poppy (Arctomecon californica) bloom in late April and
May on a gray clay soil derived from a single geologic formation. The
limited habitat suited to this beautiful desert wildflower makes it one of
Americas rare wildflowers. Found only in a few small populations in the
Eastern Mojave Desert, the Golden Bear Claw Poppy does enjoy some protection by
growing mostly within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, under National
Park Service protection.
The area in Southern Nevada where this beautiful
rare wildflower grows receives less than 10 inches of moisture annually, one of
the driest places in North America. Amazingly, the Golden Bear Claw Poppy
with stands summer temperatures that regularly exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit and
winter temperatures that may reach 20 degrees. The hardness of this showy
and delicately flowered species stretches the imagination with contrasts.
Within the boundary of Lake Mead National
Recreation Area and near Nevada's beautiful Valley of Fire State Park, the
Golden Bear Claw Poppy, featured in my
Flowers and Cactus Fine Print Gallery and in
Beautiful Rare Wildflowers Screen Saver, is as dazzling as any of the lights
of nearby Las Vegas.
Link to Lake Mead National Recreation Area Home Page ►
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