Flower profile
Bracted lousewort
Pedicularis bracteosa
Bracted lousewort (Pedicularis bracteosa) is a flowering plant in the Orobanchaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.
Bracted lousewort is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Wyoming
Quick look
Pedicularis bracteosa also known as bracted lousewort is a flowering deciduous perennial plant with alternating cauline leaves that are linear/oblong to lanceolate, approximately 1 to 7 cm long. It has fibrous roots and grows to approximately 1 meter high. Its flowers form in densely clustered spike raceme, and range in color from yellow to bronze to red to purple.
- It belongs to the Orobanchaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 9 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Wyoming. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 581 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #42 among the 113 flowers on our Wyoming list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
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
- Wyoming
- No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Wyoming.
- 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?
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.
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 bracted lousewort in 9 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Carbon, Fremont, Lincoln, Park, Sublette, Teton.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 108 counties across 9 states; the most are in Colorado (21), Washington (21), Idaho (18).
Other Pedicularis on Bloomipedia (8): Canadian lousewort, Warrior's plume, Elephant's-Head lousewort, Sickletop lousewort, Dwarf lousewort, Whorled lousewort, Labrador lousewort, Woolly lousewort.
More from the Orobanchaceae family (24 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Texas paintbrush, Purple owl's-clover, Felt paintbrush, Giant red paintbrush, Narrowleaf cow wheat, Desert paintbrush, Wholeleaf paintbrush, Florida bluehearts.
More Wyoming flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PEBR.
- iNaturalist, Pedicularis bracteosa: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Pedicularis bracteosa (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Pedicularis bracteosa (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Dan Horowitz via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.