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Chico Wildflowers and Plants: Oaks, Poppies, Poison Oak and Fall Color

Chico’s plants run from the oaks and creek canopy of Bidwell Park to the riparian woodland of the Feather River, spring wildflowers at Lake Oroville and fall color in Lassen National Forest. This guide uses agency, statute and native plant society pages only, and says what we could not confirm.

Checked October 30, 2026

  • 3,670acres in Bidwell Park, per the City of Chico
  • 25,000City street trees, per the City
  • 64plants protected as rare under the Native Plant Protection Act, per the state
  • Mid-Feb to mid-Maralmond bloom, per the Almond Board

Plants You Might See

Where and when come from the source in the last column. “Might” is deliberate: a habitat range or a park description is not a sighting, and most pages below are statewide or cover a whole park. Information as of October 30, 2026.

State Symbols

Plant Where and When, Per the Source Care Note Source
California golden poppy The state flower, Eschscholzia californica. The Government Code names it and sets April 6 as California Poppy Day. The Department of Fish and Wildlife says it is commonly seen blooming in spring and summer along country roads and freeways across much of the state. The State Capitol Museum says it blooms from spring to early summer and that all parts are toxic if eaten. No source we read names a Chico-area spot for it. Do not pick or eat it. The two state pages disagree on whether picking is illegal (see Staying Safe). Gov. Code 421; Fish and Wildlife: California poppy; Capitol Museum: poppy
Coast redwood and giant sequoia The state tree. The Government Code reads “California redwood (Sequoia sempervirens, Sequoia gigantea).” The Capitol Museum says coast redwood lives best within 50 miles of the Pacific and giant sequoia grows on the central western Sierra at 4,000 to 8,000 feet. It names the giant sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum, a different spelling from the statute. Neither range is the Chico valley floor. No care note. Gov. Code 422; Capitol Museum: state tree
Bigberry manzanita The state shrub, Arctostaphylos glauca, added by a 2025 law (AB 581). The Capitol Museum says it has bell-shaped white-to-pink flowers from late winter to early spring and red berries. We found no page placing this species near Chico. No care note. Gov. Code 425.16; Capitol Museum: state shrub
Purple needlegrass The state grass, Nassella pulchra. The Capitol Museum says it is a 2 to 3 foot native bunchgrass that can live 100 years or more, helps young oak trees survive and feeds over 330 species. We read the museum page only, not a statute. No care note. Capitol Museum: state grass

Oaks, Creeks and Trees Around Chico

Plant Where and When, Per the Source Care Note Source
Bidwell Park trees and terrain The City of Chico says Lower Park (west of Manzanita Avenue) is flat with a thick canopy of trees that gives ample shade, and Middle and Upper Park are steep foothill country with Chico Formation sandstone and Lovejoy Basalt rocks. The park is 3,670 acres and nearly 11 miles long. The page does not name any tree or wildflower. Stay on trails. Do not pick, dig or take plants in a park. City of Chico: About Bidwell Park; City park rules sheet
Oak woodland The California Native Plant Society says oak woodland is a canopy of oaks over grasses, herbs or shrubs, covers about 10 percent of California, and that oaks support over 300 vertebrate species and over 5,000 invertebrates. In some years oaks across a region make a very large acorn crop (masting). Blue oak woodlands are among the types it describes. This is a statewide page and does not name Chico. Leave acorns and branches where they lie in parks (general guidance). CNPS: oak woodlands
Valley oak (planted) State Parks says the North Forebay day-use area at Lake Oroville has planted turf and shade trees from many parts of the world, including European sycamore, olive, valley oak and zelkova. These are planted shade trees, not a wild stand. Do not pick, dig or take plants in a park. State Parks: Lake Oroville
Riparian woodland along the Feather and Sacramento Rivers The Oroville Wildlife Area is about 11,800 acres, primarily riparian woodland along the Feather River and grasslands around the Thermalito Afterbay. The Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge protects 10,353 acres of riparian habitat, which the Fish and Wildlife Service says has seen an 85 to 95 percent reduction in the Sacramento Valley. Neither page lists tree species. Stay on trails near stream banks (general guidance). Fish and Wildlife: Oroville Wildlife Area; Fish and Wildlife Service: Sacramento River refuge
City street trees The City of Chico says it owns and maintains about 25,000 street trees in the public right-of-way and has another 8,000 locations for future planting. Planting, removing or pruning a City street tree needs a City permit, removed trees usually must be replaced, and new trees must be on the City’s Approved Street Tree List. For a broken branch or hazard call the Street Tree Division at (530) 896-7800, per the City. City of Chico: Street Trees

Spring Wildflowers and Grasslands

Plant Where and When, Per the Source Care Note Source
California poppy See the State Symbols table for the state’s bloom wording: spring and summer (Fish and Wildlife) or spring to early summer (Capitol Museum). No source we read says where poppies grow around Chico. Do not pick or eat it. Fish and Wildlife: California poppy; Capitol Museum: poppy
Wildflowers at Lake Oroville State Parks says springtime at Lake Oroville is beautiful “with a vivid array of wildflowers” and normally has pleasant temperatures in the high 60s to 70s. The page names no species. Do not pick, dig or take plants in a park. State Parks: Lake Oroville
Wildflowers in Lassen National Forest The Forest Service recreation page for Lassen National Forest mentions springtime wildflower hikes. It names no species, trail or date on that page. Check with the forest before a long drive. Forest Service: Lassen National Forest recreation
Almond blossom The Almond Board of California says almond buds burst into white and light-pink blooms between mid-February and mid-March, and beekeepers bring hives into the orchards. The orchards are private farms; see our Almond Bloom and Fall Color guide. Enjoy orchards from public roads and keep clear of the hives (general guidance). Almond Board of California: almond lifecycle
Native grassland and vernal pools The California Native Plant Society says over 90 percent of California’s native grasslands and an estimated 60 to 95 percent of vernal pools have been lost, and that vernal pools are seasonal wetlands with some of the state’s most specialized plants. We do not name any pool or grassland. Vernal pools are fragile; do not walk in one (general guidance). CNPS: grasslands and vernal pools

Poison Oak and Fall Color

Plant Where and When, Per the Source Care Note Source
Poison oak UC Integrated Pest Management says western poison oak is widespread in California, grows in woodlands, parks and gardens from sea level to about 5,000 feet, and is deciduous. Leaves usually have three leaflets (not a rule), are glossy green in late spring and summer, later turn orange and red, and carry more of the oil urushiol in fall. In winter the oil is reabsorbed into the stems, so bare stems can still cause a rash if damaged. It is not a true oak. Do not touch it in any season. Skunkbush sumac looks similar but does not cause a rash. UC IPM: poison oak
Aspen, willow and alder (Lassen National Forest) The Forest Service says fall color in Lassen National Forest, near Lassen Volcanic National Park, appears in aspen groves, willows and mountain alder, especially around Hat Creek Rim and Lake Almanor. Its California list adds bigleaf maple, black oak and canyon live oak (orange and russet), dogwood, and sycamore and cottonwood (yellow along rivers and canyons). It prints no peak week. Check the forest before a color drive; timing shifts from year to year. Forest Service: fall colors

Plants Listed for Bidwell Park

Not confirmed This list comes from Friends of Bidwell Park, a volunteer group, and a March 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record article, not from the City of Chico or any agency. The group’s plant list is undated, so we do not know how current it is, and its parts of the park (Lower, Middle, Upper) are the group’s labels. Check with the City of Chico Parks Division, (530) 896-7200, before relying on it. We do not know where any protected plant grows, and none is named here.

Plant Where and When, Per the Source Care Note Source
Valley oak, interior live oak and Northern California black walnut The list marks all three as native and found in Lower, Middle and both Upper Park areas. Do not pick, dig or take plants in a park. Friends of Bidwell Park: plant list
Western sycamore, Fremont cottonwood, white alder and big-leaved maple The list marks all four as native trees found in Lower, Middle and both Upper Park areas. Stay on trails near the creek (general guidance). Friends of Bidwell Park: plant list
Blue oak The list marks it native and found in Middle Park and both Upper Park areas, not Lower Park. Do not pick, dig or take plants in a park. Friends of Bidwell Park: plant list
California buckeye, gray pine and California bay The list marks all three as native and found in all four park areas. Do not eat buckeye (general guidance). Friends of Bidwell Park: plant list
Manzanita The list has big manzanita and white-leaved manzanita in Middle Park and both Upper Park areas, and Indian manzanita in Upper South. Do not pick, dig or take plants in a park. Friends of Bidwell Park: plant list
Western redbud and blue elderberry The list marks both as native shrubs found in all four park areas. Do not pick, dig or take plants in a park. Friends of Bidwell Park: plant list
California wild grape and California blackberry The list marks both as native vines or shrubs found in all four park areas. Do not eat wild berries or fruit from this page. Friends of Bidwell Park: plant list
Poison oak The list marks western poison-oak as native and found in Lower, Middle and both Upper Park areas. Do not touch it in any season. Friends of Bidwell Park: plant list; UC IPM: poison oak
California poppy, foothill poppy and fryingpans The list marks California poppy as found in all four park areas, and the foothill poppy and fryingpans in Middle and Upper Park. A 2019 newspaper hunt left the California poppy out because it says there are not many in Upper Park; the two sources differ. Do not pick or eat poppies. Friends of Bidwell Park: plant list; Chico Enterprise-Record, March 27, 2019
Goldfields and bird’s-eye gilia The list marks California goldfields and bird’s-eye gilia as native and found in Middle and Upper Park. The 2019 article says goldfields make yellow and golden blankets locally in spring, and that the bird’s-eye gilia is up Big Chico Creek canyon, above Horseshoe Lake. Do not pick, dig or take plants in a park. Friends of Bidwell Park: plant list; Chico Enterprise-Record, March 27, 2019
Lupines and monkey-flowers The list names several native lupines (silver bush, bicolored, valley sky and others) and many native monkey-flowers, mostly in Middle and Upper Park. The 2019 article says the lupines near Horseshoe Lake are low-growing, taller up the canyon, and calls lupine poisonous. The article calls lupine poisonous; do not eat it. Friends of Bidwell Park: plant list; Chico Enterprise-Record, March 27, 2019
Other spring flowers in the 2019 newspaper hunt The article, written from plants found in Bidwell Park from near Horseshoe Lake uphill, also lists butter’n’eggs, fiddleneck, brodiaea, tidy tips, stork’s bill (filaree), popcorn flower, ceanothus, California buttercup, California sandwort and bladder parsnip. It says the show was past its peak near the lake in late March and that bloom comes later the higher you climb. Its author calls death camas and wild cucumber poisonous. Do not eat death camas or wild cucumber, per the article. Look, do not pick. Chico Enterprise-Record, March 27, 2019
Privet (non-native) The list marks three privet species as introduced and found in Middle and Lower Park. The group’s invasive plant page says the Park Division’s small budget targets the “worst of the worst,” including privet, giant reed, perennial pepperweed, starthistle, Himalayan blackberry and tree of heaven. That page is undated and mentions work as far back as 2003. Ask the City about current invasive plant work. Friends of Bidwell Park: plant list; Friends of Bidwell Park: invasive plants

Bloom Calendar: What Typically Blooms When

Each row lists what a source above ties to that time. “Typically” is deliberate: bloom and color shift with rain, heat and elevation from year to year, so check the site of the park or forest before you go. No agency we read prints a dated bloom report for Chico.

Season What Typically Happens, Per the Sources
Winter Poison oak is bare, but its stems can still cause a rash (UC IPM). Bigberry manzanita flowers from late winter to early spring (Capitol Museum, statewide).
Mid-February to mid-March Almond bloom in the orchards (Almond Board of California).
Spring Wildflowers at Lake Oroville (State Parks) and springtime wildflower hikes in Lassen National Forest (Forest Service). California poppy blooms spring to early summer or spring and summer, depending on the state page.
Summer Poison oak foliage is glossy green, with round fruit forming late in summer (UC IPM). Poppies may still bloom, per the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Fall Poison oak leaves turn orange and red (UC IPM). Aspen, willow and alder color in Lassen National Forest (Forest Service).

Where to See Them

These places have an official page that names plants or habitat. We do not point to where any protected or collectible plant grows wild.

Staying Safe and Leaving Plants Be

Each note below comes from the source it names, read October 30, 2026. Statutes were read on a public mirror of the California codes, not the Legislature’s own site. Laws, penalties and park rules can change, so check the current text or ask the agency; general guidance is labelled as such.

  • Read this first: the notes below are not legal advice. Ask the City of Chico Parks Division, California State Parks, the Department of Fish and Wildlife or the forest you are visiting before you rely on them.
  • City parks, including Bidwell Park: the City’s park rules sheet says “No person shall destroy, injure, cut, or take any natural condition of the landscape, including, but not limited to, flowers, shrubbery, plants, vines, trees, grass, wood, or rocks, in or from any city park or playground.” The sheet shows no date, only a file name that suggests 2024 (City of Chico).
  • State parks, including Lake Oroville: California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 4306 says no person shall “willfully or negligently pick, dig up, cut, mutilate, destroy, injure, disturb, move, molest, burn, or carry away any tree or plant or portion thereof,” except where the Department posts authorization for items such as berries (Cornell LII: 14 CCR 4306).
  • Land that is not yours: Penal Code 384a says a person shall not willfully or negligently cut, destroy, mutilate or remove plant material growing on public land or land that is not theirs without a written permit from the landowner. A violation is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both (Penal Code 384a).
  • Protected native plants: Fish and Game Code 1908 says no person shall import, take, possess or sell a native plant the Fish and Game Commission has designated endangered or rare, with limited exceptions. The Department says 64 plants are protected as rare under the Native Plant Protection Act and 161 as threatened or endangered under the California Endangered Species Act (Fish and Game Code 1908; Fish and Wildlife: laws protecting native plants). We do not say which plants grow where.
  • The state flower: the Department of Fish and Wildlife says no law protects the California poppy specifically, but removing plants from property you do not own without permission may be trespass or petty theft. The Capitol Museum says Penal Code 384a makes it illegal to harm or pick any golden poppy on state and private property. The two state pages differ; the statute text is quoted above. Do not pick poppies in parks.
  • Poison oak: UC IPM says to learn to recognize it, wear protective clothing, and wash skin right away; the oil is removed best if washed off immediately (UC IPM).
  • Vernal pools and grasslands: fragile habitat; stay on trails (general guidance).
  • Street trees: do not prune or remove a City street tree yourself; the City requires a permit (City of Chico).

What We Could Not Verify

  • Which wildflowers and trees grow in Bidwell Park, and when they bloom. The City page describes the terrain and canopy only; the Plants Listed for Bidwell Park table above comes from a volunteer group and a 2019 article, not the City, and the group’s list is undated. Check with the City of Chico, (530) 896-7200.
  • Table Mountain spring bloom and any Butte Creek or other ecological reserve plant list. We found no official page with that information; check with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Mount Lassen Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. We do not name where any protected plant grows.
  • The Mount Lassen Chapter’s plant lists for Table Mountain, Bidwell Park and other places. The chapter says they exist; their contents are not confirmed here.
  • The Butte County Herbarium at Chico State, other CSU Chico plant pages and UC Cooperative Extension Butte County plant guidance: not confirmed here. Check with Chico State and Cooperative Extension.
  • Plants at Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park and at any Chico-area public garden. The State Parks page we checked has no plant information, so no garden is listed. Check with State Parks.
  • Which plants are legally protected in a given place. Check the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the CNPS Rare Plant Inventory.
  • The poppy picking rules: the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the State Capitol Museum disagree (see Staying Safe). The statute text is quoted; for a ruling, ask the Department or an attorney.
  • The statutes were read on california.public.law, a public mirror of the California codes, not on the Legislature’s own site. Check leginfo.legislature.ca.gov for the current text.
  • The date of the City of Chico park rules sheet. Check with the City of Chico Parks Division.
  • The state grass and the giant sequoia name come from the Capitol Museum; the statute text for the grass was not read, and the museum’s sequoia spelling differs from the statute’s.
  • Exact bloom dates, peak weeks and color reports for Chico, Lake Oroville and Lassen National Forest. No agency we read prints them; check with the park or forest.
  • Hours and conditions of any place named above. Check with the agency before you go.

More Guides

Questions People Ask

What is the California state flower?

The California golden poppy, Eschscholzia californica. The Government Code names it the state flower and sets April 6 as California Poppy Day.

Is it illegal to pick the California poppy?

The state’s sources differ. The Department of Fish and Wildlife says no law protects the poppy specifically, but removing plants from land you do not own without permission may be trespass or petty theft. The State Capitol Museum says Penal Code 384a makes it illegal to harm or pick any golden poppy on state and private property. Do not pick poppies in parks; city and state park rules bar picking plants.

What wildflowers bloom around Chico?

State Parks says spring at Lake Oroville brings a vivid array of wildflowers, and the Forest Service mentions springtime wildflower hikes in Lassen National Forest. Neither names species, and we found no official Bidwell Park wildflower list; the volunteer group Friends of Bidwell Park and a 2019 newspaper article name many (see the Plants Listed for Bidwell Park table). Dates shift, so check with the park or forest.

When do almonds bloom near Chico?

Between mid-February and mid-March, per the Almond Board of California. The orchards are private farms, so enjoy them from public roads.

Is there poison oak in Bidwell Park?

Friends of Bidwell Park, a volunteer group, lists western poison-oak in Lower, Middle and Upper Park (not confirmed by the City). UC IPM says poison oak is widespread in California woodlands and parks, so do not touch it, even in winter.

Can I pick flowers or take plants in Bidwell Park?

No. The City’s park rules sheet says no person shall destroy, injure, cut or take flowers, shrubbery, plants, vines, trees, grass or wood in or from any city park. State parks have a similar rule. Check the current rules with the agency.

Where is the best fall color near Chico?

The Forest Service points to Lassen National Forest, especially around Lake Almanor and Hat Creek Rim, for aspen, willow and alder. It prints no peak week, so check the forest before you go.

Sources

  1. Government Code 421 (public mirror): https://california.public.law/codes/government_code_section_421 (checked October 30, 2026)
  2. Government Code 422 (public mirror): https://california.public.law/codes/government_code_section_422 (checked October 30, 2026)
  3. Government Code 425.16 (public mirror): https://california.public.law/codes/government_code_section_425.16 (checked October 30, 2026)
  4. Penal Code 384a (public mirror): https://california.public.law/codes/penal_code_section_384a (checked October 30, 2026)
  5. Fish and Game Code 1900 (public mirror): https://california.public.law/codes/fish_and_game_code_section_1900 (checked October 30, 2026)
  6. Fish and Game Code 1904 (public mirror): https://california.public.law/codes/fish_and_game_code_section_1904 (checked October 30, 2026)
  7. Fish and Game Code 1908 (public mirror): https://california.public.law/codes/fish_and_game_code_section_1908 (checked October 30, 2026)
  8. 14 CCR 4306, State Park plant rule (Cornell LII): https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/14-CCR-4306 (checked October 30, 2026)
  9. CA Fish and Wildlife, laws protecting native plants: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Plants/Laws (checked October 30, 2026)
  10. CA Fish and Wildlife, California poppy: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Plants/California-Poppy (checked October 30, 2026)
  11. State Capitol Museum, golden poppy: https://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/state-symbols/flower-california-golden-poppy/ (checked October 30, 2026)
  12. State Capitol Museum, state tree: https://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/state-symbols/tree-coast-redwood-and-giant-sequoia/ (checked October 30, 2026)
  13. State Capitol Museum, state shrub: https://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/state-symbols/shrub-bigberry-manzanita/ (checked October 30, 2026)
  14. State Capitol Museum, state grass: https://capitolmuseum.ca.gov/state-symbols/grass-purple-needlegrass/ (checked October 30, 2026)
  15. City of Chico, park rules sheet: https://chicoca.gov/documents/Community/Parks–Outdoors/rules_10_0824.pdf (checked October 30, 2026)
  16. City of Chico, About Bidwell Park: https://chicoca.gov/__catapult_pages/6c7fb9a4-01b6-485f-886c-1f417fda1019/About-Bidwell-Park.html (checked October 30, 2026)
  17. City of Chico, Street Trees: https://chicoca.gov/__catapult_pages/7480a826-255f-43fc-92d7-55cb0d5b1a09/Street-Trees.html (checked October 30, 2026)
  18. California State Parks, Lake Oroville SRA: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=462 (checked October 30, 2026)
  19. CA Fish and Wildlife, Oroville Wildlife Area: https://wildlife.ca.gov/Lands/Places-to-Visit/Oroville-WA (checked October 30, 2026)
  20. US Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento River refuge: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/sacramento-river (checked October 30, 2026)
  21. California Native Plant Society, oak woodlands: https://www.cnps.org/saving-what-matters-most/oak-woodlands/ (checked October 30, 2026)
  22. California Native Plant Society, grasslands and vernal pools: https://www.cnps.org/saving-what-matters-most/grasslands-vernal-pools/ (checked October 30, 2026)
  23. California Native Plant Society, Mount Lassen Chapter: https://mountlassen.cnps.org/ (checked October 30, 2026)
  24. CNPS Rare Plant Inventory: https://rareplants.cnps.org/ (checked October 30, 2026)
  25. UC IPM, poison oak: https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/poison-oak/ (checked October 30, 2026)
  26. Forest Service, fall colors: https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/fall-colors (checked October 30, 2026)
  27. Forest Service, Lassen National Forest recreation: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r05/lassen/recreation (checked October 30, 2026)
  28. Almond Board of California, almond lifecycle: https://www.almonds.org/why-almonds/growing-good/almond-lifecycle (checked October 30, 2026)
  29. Friends of Bidwell Park, vascular plant species in Bidwell Park: http://friendsofbidwellpark.org/issues/vegetation/vascular-plant-species-in-bidwell-park/ (checked October 30, 2026)
  30. Friends of Bidwell Park, invasive plants: https://friendsofbidwellpark.org/issues/vegetation/what-is-currently-being-done-to-control-invasive-plants-in-bidwell-park/ (checked October 30, 2026)
  31. Chico Enterprise-Record, a wildflower scavenger hunt through Bidwell Park (March 27, 2019): https://www.chicoer.com/2019/03/27/a-wildflower-scavenger-hunt-bidwell-park/ (checked October 30, 2026)

On The Map

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Cite this page: It's Chico, “Chico Wildflowers and Plants: Oaks, Poppies, Poison Oak and Fall Color”, itschico.com/guides/wildflowers-and-plants/ (updated ). By the It's Chico editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.