Bloomipedia
Arctic starflower (Lysimachia europaea)
Photo: Alexandria 'Alex' Wenninger via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Arctic starflower

Lysimachia europaea

Native to Alaska

Arctic starflower is a flowering plant. In Alaska it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

–states
1,552AK sightings*
1,743U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alaska

Quick look

Lysimachia europaea is a flowering plant in the primrose family Primulaceae, called by the common name chickweed-wintergreen or arctic starflower. It is a small herbaceous perennial plant with one or more whorls of leaves on a single slender erect stem. It is about 10 cm, 3.9 in high. The broad lanceolate leaves are pale green but take on a copper hue in late summer.

  • It belongs to the Primulaceae family. iNaturalist
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Alaska. NatureServe
  • In Alaska, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,552 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #21 among the 108 flowers on our Alaska list. iNaturalist

Arctic starflower gift ideas

Handmade arctic starflower gifts from independent makers.

When does it bloom?

In Alaska, most flowering sightings come in May–July.

Flowering records by month in Alaska (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (103 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Alaska
No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CA (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant)) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

More Alaska flowers

Sources