Bloomipedia
Blue pigroot (Sisyrinchium micranthum)
Photo: Celeste Ray via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Blue pigroot

Sisyrinchium micranthum

Blue pigroot (Sisyrinchium micranthum) is a flowering plant in the Iridaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Blue pigroot is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

11states where USDA records it
5Bloomipedia state lists include it
10,660U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina

Quick look

Sisyrinchium micranthum, commonly known as annual blue-eyed grass, blue pigroot, fairy stars, and striped rush-leaf, is a wildflower. It is a grass-like species in the iris family, Iridaceae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, and South America and widely naturalized elsewhere. The flowers are between 10 and 20 mm in diameter.

  • It belongs to the Iridaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 11 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,229 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #74 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 874 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #37 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 619 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #104 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,306 records)
Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
Georgia–April–May1,229
Louisiana–March–May874
Alabama–April–May619
South Carolina–April–May589
Mississippi–April–May407

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe
Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe
Georgia
Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
Louisiana
No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks.
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead.
South Carolina
No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead.
Mississippi
No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead.

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), 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 blue pigroot in 11 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Baldwin, Ben Hill, Bulloch, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, DeKalb, Echols, Glynn, Grady, Liberty, Long, Lowndes, McIntosh, Stephens.

Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, Winn.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Covington, Escambia, Geneva, Lee, Mobile.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Native; Puerto Rico: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Sisyrinchium brownei, Sisyrinchium exile.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 168 counties across 12 states; the most are in Louisiana (56), Florida (32), Texas (23).

Other Sisyrinchium on Bloomipedia (1): Western blue-eyed grass.

More from the Iridaceae family (14 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Irises, Yellow iris, Dwarf crested iris, Douglas iris, Western blue flag, Northern blue flag iris, Southern blue flag, Oregon iris.

More Georgia flowers

American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: June–August
American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)

American beautyberry

Callicarpa americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: June–July
Little brown jugs (Asarum arifolium)

Little brown jugs

Asarum arifolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: March–May

Sources