Bloomipedia
Catclaw briar (Mimosa nuttallii)
Photo: Alexandria Szakacs via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Catclaw briar

Mimosa nuttallii

Native to Arkansas

Catclaw briar is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Arkansas it's most often seen in bloom in May–June.

16states
684AR sightings*
2,555U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Arkansas

Quick look

Mimosa nuttallii, the Nuttall's sensitive-briar, catclaw brier, or sensitive brier, is an herbaceous perennial legume in the subfamily Mimosoideae native to the central United States. It has a trailing semi-woody vine covered with small recurved prickles that can be painful to bare skin.

  • It belongs to the Fabaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 16 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Arkansas. NatureServe
  • In Arkansas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 684 research-grade sightings of it in Arkansas, ranking #69 among the 109 flowers on our Arkansas list. iNaturalist

Catclaw briar gift ideas

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When does it bloom?

In Arkansas, most flowering sightings come in May–June.

Flowering records by month in Arkansas (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (48 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
T5 See NatureServe for what T5 means. NatureServe
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.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S1), IA (S1), IL (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 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 catclaw briar in 16 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Arkansas counties with USDA records: Arkansas, Ashley, Baxter, Benton, Boone, Bradley, Calhoun, Carroll, Clark, Cleburne, Cleveland, Columbia, Conway, Crawford, Drew, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Hempstead, Independence, Izard, Jefferson, Johnson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Marion, Miller, Monroe, Nevada, Newton, Perry, Pike, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, Scott, Sebastian, Sevier, Sharp, St. Francis, Stone, Union, Washington, Yell.

More Arkansas flowers

White clover (Trifolium repens)

White clover

Trifolium repens

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in AR: March–July
Red clover (Trifolium pratense)

Red clover

Trifolium pratense

★ VT state flowerIntroduced

🌼 Blooms in AR: April–September
Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Eastern redbud

Cercis canadensis

Native

🌼 Blooms in AR: March–April

Sources