Bloomipedia
Breadroot scurf pea (Pediomelum esculentum)
Photo: F. LaBry via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Breadroot scurf pea

Pediomelum esculentum

Native in the lower 48

Breadroot scurf pea is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–June.

17states
2of our state lists
1,316U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Dakota, South Dakota

Quick look

Pediomelum esculentum, synonym Psoralea esculenta, common name prairie turnip or timpsila, is an herbaceous perennial plant native to prairies and dry woodlands of central North America, which bears a starchy tuberous root edible as a root vegetable. English names for the plant include tipsin, teepsenee, breadroot, breadroot scurf pea, large Indian breadroot, prairie potato and pomme blanche.

  • It belongs to the Fabaceae 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 17 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to South Dakota and North Dakota. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 188 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #77 among the 108 flowers on our South Dakota list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 180 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #34 among the 109 flowers on our North Dakota list. iNaturalist

Breadroot scurf pea gift ideas

Handmade breadroot scurf pea gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (95 records)
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
South DakotaNativefew records188
North DakotaNativefew records180

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
South Dakota
No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
North Dakota
No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AR (S2), WI (S2). (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), 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 breadroot scurf pea in 17 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

South Dakota counties with USDA records: Aurora, Bennett, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Butte, Charles Mix, Clark, Clay, Codington, Corson, Custer, Day, Dewey, Fall River, Haakon, Harding, Jackson, Jerauld, Lawrence, Lincoln, Lyman, Meade, Mellette, Pennington, Roberts, Stanley, Todd, Tripp, Union, Yankton.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Adams, Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Ward, Wells, Williams.

More South Dakota flowers

White clover (Trifolium repens)

White clover

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🌼 Few flowering records in SD
Red clover (Trifolium pratense)

Red clover

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★ VT state flowerIntroduced

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Purple crownvetch (Securigera varia)

Purple crownvetch

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🌼 Few flowering records in SD

Sources