Bloomipedia
Canada toadflax (Linaria canadensis)
Photo: Bill Keim via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Canada toadflax

Linaria canadensis

Canada toadflax (Linaria canadensis) is a flowering plant in the Plantaginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–June across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Canada toadflax is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 9 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

39states where USDA records it
9Bloomipedia state lists include it
15,692U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Carolina

Quick look

Nuttallanthus canadensis, the blue toadflax, Canada toadflax, or old-field toadflax, is a species of Nuttallanthus in the family Plantaginaceae, native to eastern North America from Ontario east to Nova Scotia and south to Texas and Florida.

  • It belongs to the Plantaginaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 39 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–March. iNaturalist
  • In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,111 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #99 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,462 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #57 among the 188 flowers on our Massachusetts list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,461 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #54 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,330 records)
Bloom time in the 9 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
FloridaNativeFebruary–March3,111
MassachusettsNativeMay–June2,462
GeorgiaNativeFebruary–April1,461
New JerseyNativeMay–June988
MaineNativeJune–August756
ConnecticutNativeMay–July555
South CarolinaNativefew records (38)545
Rhode IslandNativefew records (33)301
DelawareNativeApril–May184

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
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 8 of our 9 states.
See each state
Florida
Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
Massachusetts
Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. MESA list
Georgia
Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
New Jersey
Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: S5, secure in New Jersey. N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1
Maine
Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. Maine rare plant list
Connecticut
Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. CT E/T/SC list
Rhode Island
Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. RI rare plants 2016
Delaware
Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: S5, secure in Delaware. DE rare plants 2024
South Carolina
No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AR (S1), KS (SH), OH (S1), WA (S1), WV (S1). (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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 Canada toadflax in 39 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Baker, Baldwin, Bartow, Berrien, Brooks, Bulloch, Chatham, Clarke, DeKalb, Decatur, Echols, Elbert, Emanuel, Floyd, Hall, Harris, Hart, Irwin, Jenkins, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, McIntosh, Meriwether, Morgan, Oglethorpe, Putnam, Randolph, Screven, Stephens, Talbot, Tift, Toombs, Ware, Whitfield, Wilkes, Worth.

Names, range and relatives

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

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 781 counties across 33 states; the most are in North Carolina (70), Arkansas (67), Virginia (61).

Other Linaria on Bloomipedia (3): Butter-and-eggs (common toadflax), Texas toadflax, Balkan toadflax.

More from the Plantaginaceae family (29 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Bird's-eye speedwell, Purple foxglove, White turtlehead, Foxglove beardtongue, Heath speedwell, Culver's root, Cobaea beardtongue, Snapdragon vine.

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Sources