Bloomipedia
Blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)
Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Blackfoot daisy

Melampodium leucanthum

Native in the lower 48

Blackfoot daisy is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–October.

6states
3of our state lists
11,024U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

Quick look

Melampodium leucanthum, the plains blackfoot or blackfoot daisy, is an herbaceous perennial plant in the family Asteraceae found on rocky slopes in the southwest U.S. It is an attractive ornamental, blooming from March to November.

  • 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 Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. NatureServe
  • In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–October. iNaturalist
  • In New Mexico, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–September. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 7,970 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #73 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,329 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #29 among the 109 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,213 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #81 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist

Blackfoot daisy gift ideas

Handmade blackfoot daisy gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,444 records)
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
TexasNativeMarch–October7,970
New MexicoNativeMarch–September1,329
ArizonaNativeMarch–May1,213

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
Texas
Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
New Mexico
Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
Arizona
Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 blackfoot daisy in 6 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas.

Texas counties with USDA records: Andrews, Archer, Armstrong, Bailey, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Bosque, Brewster, Briscoe, Brown, Burnet, Callahan, Carson, Childress, Cochran, Coleman, Collingsworth, Comal, Comanche, Cottle, Crane, Crockett, Crosby, Culberson, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Donley, Eastland, Ector, El Paso, Erath, Fisher, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Gillespie, Glasscock, Gray, Hamilton, Hansford, Hardeman, Hartley, Hays, Hemphill, Howard, Hudspeth, Hutchinson, Irion, Jeff Davis, Jones, Kendall, Kent, Kerr, Knox, Lamb, Lampasas, Lipscomb, Loving, Lubbock, Martin, McLennan, Midland, Mills, Moore, Motley, Nolan, Ochiltree, Oldham, Palo Pinto, Parmer, Pecos, Potter, Presidio, Randall, Reagan, Reeves, Runnels, San Saba, Shackelford, Sherman, Stephens, Taylor, Terrell, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Travis, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Ward, Washington, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson, Winkler, Yoakum.

New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Chaves, Curry, De Baca, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Guadalupe, Harding, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, Mora, Otero, Quay, Roosevelt, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai.

More Texas flowers

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

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Introduced

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Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Black-eyed Susan

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★ MD state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in TX: April–July
Common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

Common dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

★ NH state wildflowerIntroduced

🌼 Blooms: March–June

Sources