Greater Celandine v. Celandine Poppy

2020-05-13: Added comparison of seedpods (easiest way to distinguish the two) and sap (not reliable).


I’ve been seeing a lot of misidentifications – or perhaps wishful ones – of the invasive Chelidonium majus, greater celandine as the Eastern U.S. native Stylophorum diphyllum, celandine poppy. Here is a visual guide for distinguishing them.

Habit

Both grow to similar height and width, holding their flowers just above the foliage when blooming.

Chelidonium majus, Celandine

Stylophorum diphllyum, Celandine Poppy

Sap

All parts of both species exude a brightly colored sap when broken or crushed. However, I find the color is variable, ranging yellow to orange, and not distinct enough to be diagnostic.

Yellow-orange-sapped leaf of Chelidonium majus, greater celandine, invasive, in my backyard, March 2016

Yellow-orange sap of Stylophorum diphyllum, celandine poppy, in my backyard, May 2020

Foliage

Both have deeply pinnate leaves with lobed leaflets. The lobes on the native celandine poppy are more open, almost oak-like, than on the invasive greater celandine.

Comparative morphology: leaf obverse, Chelidonium majus, greater celandine (below) v. Stylophorum diphyllum, celandine poppy (above), both from my garden, April 2016

Comparative morphology: leaf obverse, Chelidonium majus, greater celandine (below) v. Stylophorum diphyllum, celandine poppy (above), both from my garden, April 2016

Comparative morphology: leaf obverse, Chelidonium majus, greater celandine (below) v. Stylophorum diphyllum, celandine poppy (above), both from my garden, April 2016

Comparative morphology: leaf obverse, Chelidonium majus, greater celandine (below) v. Stylophorum diphyllum, celandine poppy (above), both from my garden, April 2016

Flowers

Stylophorum diphyllum, celandine poppy (left) and Chelidonium majus, greater celandine (right)

Fruit (Seedpods)

I find this the easiest way to distinguish the two species.

Chelidonium majus, Greater Celandine, Detail of ripening seed pod

Seedpod, Stylophorum diphyllum, celandine poppy, in my backyard, May 2020

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One thought on “Greater Celandine v. Celandine Poppy

  1. Very helpful post. I have a LOT of the Celandine Poppy. Actually, anyone who starts out with a few will likely end up with a lot, because of how it spreads by seed. Which is fine, though it does tend to smother other spring-blooming flowers, especially shorter ephemerals. Still, the flowers are wonderful.

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