Flower profile

Bristly oxtongue

Helminthotheca echioides

Bristly oxtongue (Helminthotheca echioides) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.

Not native to California

Bristly oxtongue is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.

18states where USDA records it

11,980CA sightings*

12,018U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Helminthotheca echioides, known as bristly oxtongue, is a sprawling annual or biennial herb native to Europe and North Africa. It was originally placed within the genus Picris but is often separated within the small genus Helminthotheca alongside a few other plants which also have the distinctive outer row of bracts around the flowerheads.
From Wikipedia's article Helminthotheca echioides, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 18 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to California. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 11,980 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #70 among the 178 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in June–September.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (792 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: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in California. ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}
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 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 bristly oxtongue in 18 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington; District of Columbia.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Butte, Contra Costa, Glenn, Humboldt, Los Angeles, Marin, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Ventura, Yolo.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 49 counties across 13 states; the most are in California (27), New York (5), Ohio (3).

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More California flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: April–July

California brittlebush

Encelia californica

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: January–April

Brittlebush

Encelia farinosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: January–April

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PIEC.
iNaturalist, Helminthotheca echioides: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Helminthotheca echioides (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Helminthotheca echioides (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Anne Parsons via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.