Bloomipedia
Cardinal’s guard (Odontonema cuspidatum)
Photo: florawhite via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Cardinal’s guard

Odontonema cuspidatum

Cardinal’s guard (Odontonema cuspidatum) is a low shrub in the Acanthaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states.

Not native to Hawaii

Cardinal’s guard is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states.

2states where USDA records it
673HI sightings*
683U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Hawaii

Quick look

Odontonema cuspidatum, the mottled toothedthread, the Cardinal's guard, or the firespike, is a species of plant in the family Acanthaceae which is endemic to Mexico, but has been introduced to Florida, Central America, South America, the West Indies, and several Pacific Islands.

  • It belongs to the Acanthaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as not native to Hawaii. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 673 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #72 among the 118 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Hawaii (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (26 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
Hawaii
Not listed Not on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Hawaii. HAR 13-107
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 cardinal’s guard in 2 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Florida, Hawaii.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced; Puerto Rico: Introduced.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Thyrsacanthus cuspidatus.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 6 counties across 1 states; the most are in Florida (6).

More from the Acanthaceae family (12 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Carolina ruellia, American water-willow, Hairy ruellia, Mexican ruellia, Common wild petunia, Chuparosa, Black mangrove, Chinese violet.

More Hawaii flowers

Chinese violet (Asystasia gangetica)

Chinese violet

Asystasia gangetica

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in HI: January–December
Coral creeper (Barleria repens)

Coral creeper

Barleria repens

🌼 Blooms in HI: March–December
Squirrel's tail (Justicia betonica)

Squirrel's tail

Justicia betonica

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in HI

Sources