ST. GEORGE — Southern Utah’s dwarf bear poppies are flowering, but these unique blooms won’t last much longer.
Southern Utah is botanically unique since it’s located at the intersection of the Great Basin, Mojave Desert and Colorado Plateau, St. George News reported.
Several of the region’s species, like the dwarf bear poppy, are found nowhere else, said Mindy Wheeler, a native plant conservation project leader with Utah State University. These flowers are specialized to their environment, which can limit how well they adapt to potential risks such as encroachment by development, climate change, recreation and habitat fragmentation. The plant was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1979.
Dwarf bear poppies, also known as bearclaw poppies, have fuzzy, blue-green leaves that appear smoky and showy, and white flowers, Wheeler told St. George News last year. They’re often found in gypsum-rich soils.
The plant is worth protecting “for its novelty alone, never mind its ecological benefits,” said Red Cliffs Desert Reserve Outreach Coordinator Ammon Teare.
“You can’t grow it in a greenhouse,” Elaine York, West Desert regional director for The Nature Conservancy in Utah, told St. George News via email. “You can’t transplant it. It will only grow in these few locations within this county. It’s stunningly beautiful. A mature plant might produce up to 300 blossoms in the short flowering period.”
The species typically bloom in April, and early May is considered the end of their annual flowering cycle, so “depending on the weather, they’ll likely only bloom for a few more days,” York said.
Teare agreed with York: Don’t delay if you’re thinking of viewing these blooms.
“There’s only a few days left of really prime viewing for the dwarf bear poppy,” Teare said. “Pretty soon the flowers will go to seed and the plant will enter its dormant phase. Get outside soon to catch this last week of fair weather and poppy panoramas.
“Some people travel for days or even weeks for one-of-a-kind experiences. The dwarf bear poppy practically grows in our backyards, and we’re the only people on Earth that get to see this particular flower in person.”
Southern Utahns can see the flower on the Bureau of Land Management’s Bearclaw Poppy trail system or at the White Dome Nature Preserve, York said. The 800-acre preserve is privately owned by the nonprofit and protects several sensitive species, including dwarf bear poppies and Siler pincushion cactuses.
“The Nature Conservancy of Utah has done a great deal to preserve poppy habitat with the funding and labor they direct to White Dome Nature Preserve,” Teare said. “We’re honored to join them by protecting poppies in Zone 6 (a portion of the reserve west of Bloomington), and we hope to continue protecting Zone 6 for many years to come.”
To help preserve the species, The Nature Conservancy recommends Southern Utahns tell friends and family about the plant and support conservation efforts by volunteering or donating.
“When you’re in poppy habitat, please stay on the trails,” York said. “Their habitat is fragile.”
Visitors can download an audio tour of the White Dome Nature Preserve at this link.
Photo Gallery
Dwarf bear poppies bloom at the White Dome Nature Preserve in St. George, Utah, May 5, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News Dwarf bear poppies bloom at the White Dome Nature Preserve in St. George, Utah, May 5, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News Dwarf bear poppies bloom at the White Dome Nature Preserve in St. George, Utah, May 5, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News Dwarf bear poppies bloom at the White Dome Nature Preserve in St. George, Utah, May 5, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News Dwarf bear poppies bloom at the White Dome Nature Preserve in St. George, Utah, May 5, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News Dwarf bear poppies bloom at the White Dome Nature Preserve in St. George, Utah, May 5, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News Dwarf bear poppies bloom at the White Dome Nature Preserve in St. George, Utah, May 5, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News Dwarf bear poppies bloom at the White Dome Nature Preserve in St. George, Utah, May 5, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News Dwarf bear poppies bloom at the White Dome Nature Preserve in St. George, Utah, May 5, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News Dwarf bear poppies bloom at the White Dome Nature Preserve in St. George, Utah, May 5, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News Dwarf bear poppies bloom at the White Dome Nature Preserve in St. George, Utah, May 5, 2024 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, St. George News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.