Flower profile

Canadian lousewort

Pedicularis canadensis

Native in the lower 48

Canadian lousewort is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 10 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

39states

10of our state lists

21,588U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Quick look

Pedicularis canadensis, commonly called Canadian lousewort or wood betony, is a flowering plant in the family Orobanchaceae. It is native to North America, where it is found in southeastern Canada, the eastern United States, and eastern Mexico. It has a wide-ranging natural habitat, being found in mesic to dry, forests, woodlands, and prairies.
From Wikipedia's article Pedicularis canadensis, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Orobanchaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 39 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1.3 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 2,741 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #58 among the 109 flowers on our Illinois list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,168 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #80 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,135 research-grade sightings of it in Wisconsin, ranking #66 among the 109 flowers on our Wisconsin list. ^iNaturalist

Canadian lousewort gift ideas

Handmade canadian lousewort 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.

Placeholder

Canadian lousewort art print
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Canadian lousewort greeting card
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Canadian lousewort mug
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Canadian lousewort earrings
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Canadian lousewort embroidery pattern
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Canadian lousewort sticker
Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,483 records)

Bloom time in each of our 10 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Illinois	Native	April–May	2,741
North Carolina	Native	April–May	2,168
Wisconsin	Native	April–June	2,135
Virginia	Native	April–May	1,810
Tennessee	Native	March–May	1,238
Missouri	Native	April–May	945
Arkansas	Native	March–May	838
Indiana	Native	April–May	795
West Virginia	Native	April–May	357
Iowa	Native	few records	268

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
Illinois: Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Illinois. ^{IL E&T checklist 2025}
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
Wisconsin: Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. ^{NR 27.03}
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
Tennessee: Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. ^{TN rule 0400-06-02-.04}
Missouri: Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. ^{3 CSR 10-4.111}
Arkansas: No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
Indiana: No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Indiana.
West Virginia: No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.
Iowa: Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Iowa. ^{IAC 571-77.3}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (S2), NE (S1), RI (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 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 canadian lousewort in 39 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

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

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cook, Crawford, DeKalb, DuPage, Effingham, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Macon, Macoupin, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Monroe, Morgan, Ogle, Peoria, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Randolph, Rock Island, Sangamon, Scott, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Will, Winnebago.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Chatham, Cherokee, Clay, Columbus, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Graham, Granville, Guilford, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Johnston, Jones, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Onslow, Orange, Pender, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, Stokes, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Wake, Watauga, Yancey.

Wisconsin counties with USDA records: Adams, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sawyer, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Wood.

More Illinois flowers

Painted-cup paintbrush

Castilleja coccinea

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–July

Common milkweed

Asclepias syriaca

Native

🌼 Blooms in IL: June–August

Prairie trillium

Trillium recurvatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in IL: April–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PECA.
iNaturalist, Pedicularis canadensis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Pedicularis canadensis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Illinois: Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist.
Illinois: Illinois Official List of Exotic Weeds (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1100.30, Illinois Exotic Weed Act).
North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
Wisconsin: Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03).
Wisconsin: Wisconsin invasive species rule (Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04 prohibited, NR 40.05 restricted).
Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
Tennessee: Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act).
Tennessee: Tennessee Pest Plant List (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02).
Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
Indiana: Indiana prohibited invasive terrestrial plants (312 IAC 18-3-25).
West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
Iowa: Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3).
Iowa: Iowa noxious weeds (Iowa Code § 317.1A).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Pedicularis canadensis (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Seig via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.