Flower profile
Buffalo-bur
Solanum rostratum
Buffalo-bur 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 May–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas
Quick look
Solanum rostratum is a species of nightshade that is native to the United States and northern and central Mexico. Common names include buffalobur nightshade, buffalo-bur, spiny nightshade, Colorado bur, Kansas thistle, bad woman, Mexican thistle, and Texas thistle.
- It belongs to the Solanaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 47 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. NatureServe
- In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–November. iNaturalist
- In Kansas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 9,168 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #62 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 740 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #23 among the 109 flowers on our Kansas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 406 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #23 among the 108 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist
Buffalo-bur gift ideas
Handmade buffalo-bur 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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Buffalo-bur art print
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Buffalo-bur greeting card
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Buffalo-bur mug
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Buffalo-bur earrings
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Buffalo-bur embroidery pattern
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Buffalo-bur sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 5 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Native | May–November | 9,168 |
| Kansas | Native | May–October | 740 |
| Nebraska | Native | June–September | 406 |
| South Dakota | Native | June–August | 316 |
| North Dakota | Native | few records | 75 |
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
- Kansas
- No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.
- Nebraska
- Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
- 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: NV (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?
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.
ASPCA's entry “Deadly Nightshade” (Solanum spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Hypersalivation, inappetence, severe gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, drowsiness, CNS depression, confusion, behavioral change, weakness, dilated pupils, slow heart… ASPCA
🌿 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 buffalo-bur in 47 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.
Texas counties with USDA records: Andrews, Aransas, Archer, Bailey, Bandera, Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brazos, Brewster, Briscoe, Brown, Burnet, Cameron, Carson, Castro, Childress, Coleman, Comal, Comanche, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Cottle, Crockett, Culberson, Dallam, Dallas, Deaf Smith, Denton, Dickens, Donley, Eastland, Edwards, Ellis, Erath, Fayette, Floyd, Garza, Gillespie, Gonzales, Gray, Grayson, Gregg, Grimes, Hale, Hall, Hansford, Hardeman, Harris, Hartley, Hays, Hemphill, Hill, Hockley, Hutchinson, Jeff Davis, Karnes, Lamb, Lampasas, Lee, Leon, Lipscomb, Lubbock, Marion, McLennan, Menard, Mills, Mitchell, Moore, Motley, Nolan, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parker, Parmer, Pecos, Potter, Presidio, Randall, Reeves, Roberts, Robertson, Shackelford, Sherman, Starr, Sutton, Swisher, Tarrant, Terrell, Titus, Tom Green, Travis, Val Verde, Walker, Washington, Webb, Wheeler, Wichita, Williamson, Wood, Yoakum.
Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Lane, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Shawnee, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wichita, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte.
Nebraska counties with USDA records: Banner, Boone, Box Butte, Buffalo, Cass, Chase, Cherry, Cuming, Dakota, Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dixon, Dodge, Douglas, Dundy, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Gage, Garden, Hall, Harlan, Howard, Jefferson, Kearney, Keith, Keya Paha, Lancaster, Lincoln, Merrick, Morrill, Nemaha, Nuckolls, Otoe, Phelps, Platte, Red Willow, Richardson, Saunders, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Thayer, Thomas, Washington, Webster.
More Texas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SORO.
- iNaturalist, Solanum rostratum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Solanum rostratum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
- Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
- Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
- Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
- South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
- North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Solanum rostratum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.