Bloomipedia
Common butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris)
Photo: Louis Imbeau via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Common butterwort

Pinguicula vulgaris

Common butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris) is a flowering plant in the Lentibulariaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–July across the U.S.

Native to Alaska

Common butterwort is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

8states where USDA records it
442AK sightings*
1,349U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alaska

Quick look

Pinguicula vulgaris, the common butterwort, is a perennial carnivorous plant in the butterwort genus of the family Lentibulariaceae.

  • It belongs to the Lentibulariaceae 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 8 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Alaska. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 442 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #101 among the 121 flowers on our Alaska list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Alaska (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (27 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
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Alaska
No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: ME (S1), NH (S1), NY (S1), VT (S1), WI (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 common butterwort in 8 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin.

Alaska counties with USDA records: Aleutians East, Aleutians West, Anchorage, Bethel, Bristol Bay, Chugach, Copper River, Denali, Dillingham, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Ketchikan Gateway, Kodiak Island, Lake and Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, Nome, North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Sitka, Southeast Fairbanks, Yakutat, Yukon-Koyukuk.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Native; Canada: Native; Greenland: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 44 counties across 7 states; the most are in Alaska (22), Michigan (10), New York (6).

Other Pinguicula on Bloomipedia (1): Yellow butterwort.

More Alaska flowers

Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium)

Fireweed

Chamaenerion angustifolium

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🌼 Blooms in AK: July–August
Common cowparsnip (Heracleum maximum)

Common cowparsnip

Heracleum maximum

Native

🌼 Blooms in AK: June–July
Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

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🌼 Blooms in AK: June–September

Sources