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Celandine Poppy

Chelidonium diphyllum · Poppy Family

Celandine Poppy (Chelidonium diphyllum)
(c) Tom Potterfield, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA) · CC BY-NC-SA · via iNaturalist

Celandine Poppy (Chelidonium diphyllum) is in the Poppy Family family (Papaveraceae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 2,645 research-grade flowering observations of it in our sample, peaking in April.

Nationally it blooms mainly from April to April, but timing varies a lot by state and elevation — see the table below.

When to photograph Celandine Poppy: observations by month (U.S.)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Celandine Poppy by state

StateObservationsPeak monthMain season
Kentucky502AprilApr–Apr
Indiana402AprilApr–May
Ohio314AprilApr–Apr
Illinois222AprilApr–May
Pennsylvania191AprilApr–May
Tennessee188AprilMar–Apr
New York150AprilApr–May
Virginia118AprilApr–Apr
Michigan109MayApr–May
Maryland103AprilApr–Apr
Missouri75AprilApr–Apr
Georgia50MarchMar–Apr
New Jersey43MayApr–May
West Virginia42AprilApr–Apr
Delaware31AprilApr–Apr
Wisconsin20MayApr–May
North Carolina19AprilApr–Apr
Connecticut13MayApr–May
Massachusetts13AprilApr–Jun
Arkansas11AprilMar–Apr
District of Columbia10AprilApr–Apr
Iowa7AprilApr–Jun
Minnesota5MayApr–May

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related wildflowers (Poppy Family)

Photography tips

  • Photograph flowers on calm, overcast mornings to avoid wind blur and harsh shadows.
  • Get low: a shallow depth of field (f/2.8–f/5.6) isolates a bloom against soft color.
  • Stay on trails — trampling meadows kills plants and ruins next year's display.
  • Try a kaleidoscope abstract of a single bloom with our online kaleidoscope tool.

FAQ

When is the best time to photograph Celandine Poppy?
Nationally, April has the most observations, with the main season from April to April.
Where is Celandine Poppy most often seen?
The most observations come from Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio.