Bloomipedia
Badlands mule-ears (Scabrethia scabra)
Photo: Rusty via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Badlands mule-ears

Scabrethia scabra

Native to Utah

Badlands mule-ears is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Utah it's most often seen in bloom in April–August.

6states
896UT sightings*
1,058U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Utah

Quick look

Scabrethia is a monotypic genus of North American flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Utah. NatureServe
  • In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–August. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 896 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #64 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. iNaturalist

Badlands mule-ears gift ideas

Handmade badlands mule-ears gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

In Utah, most flowering sightings come in April–August.

Flowering records by month in Utah (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (66 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
G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in Utah.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (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.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S3 in Utah. NatureServe

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) 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 records badlands mule-ears in 6 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming.

Utah counties with USDA records: Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Kane, San Juan, Uintah, Washington, Wayne.

More Utah flowers

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: June–September
Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in UT: June–October
Common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Common dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

★ NH state wildflowerIntroduced

🌼 Blooms in UT: March–November

Sources