Flower profile

Common starlily

Leucocrinum montanum

Common starlily (Leucocrinum montanum) is a flowering plant in the Asparagaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Common starlily is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

13states where USDA records it

3Bloomipedia state lists include it

7,484U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming

Quick look

Leucocrinum montanum, commonly known as the common starlily, sandlily, or mountain lily, is the only species in the monotypic genus Leucocrinum, which was placed in the asparagus family in 2009. It is a common and widespread early spring wildflower on the shortgrass prairie, the central and southern Rocky Mountains, and the Intermountain West.
From Wikipedia's article Leucocrinum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asparagaceae 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 13 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado, Wyoming and South Dakota. ^NatureServe
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 5,240 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #16 among the 160 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 331 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #90 among the 113 flowers on our Wyoming list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 245 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #56 among the 126 flowers on our South Dakota list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,123 records)

Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Native	April–May	5,240
Wyoming	Native	few records (30)	331
South Dakota	Native	few records (23)	245

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
Colorado: No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Colorado.
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Wyoming.
South Dakota: No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AZ (S1), ND (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 petsNon-toxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Sand Lily” (Leucocrinum montanum) lists it as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating lots of any plant can still upset a pet's stomach. ^ASPCA

🌿 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 starlily in 13 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Archuleta, Baca, Boulder, Custer, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Elbert, Jefferson, Kit Carson, La Plata, Larimer, Las Animas, Logan, Morgan, Otero, Routt, Sedgwick, Weld.

Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Campbell, Converse, Crook, Goshen, Johnson, Laramie, Natrona, Niobrara, Park, Platte, Sheridan, Weston.

South Dakota counties with USDA records: Butte, Custer, Fall River, Harding, Jackson, Lawrence, Meade, Pennington.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 112 counties across 13 states; the most are in Colorado (19), Montana (18), Nebraska (14).

More from the Asparagaceae family (34 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Yuccas, Solomon's plume (false Solomon's seal), Canada mayflower, Blue dicks, Common star-of-Bethlehem, Star-flowered lily-of-the-valley, Chaparral yucca, Mojave yucca.

More Colorado flowers

Great Plains yucca

Yucca glauca

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: May–June

Star-flowered lily-of-the-valley

Maianthemum stellatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: May–June

Great mullein

Verbascum thapsus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: July–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LEMO4.
iNaturalist, Leucocrinum montanum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Leucocrinum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Leucocrinum montanum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension; ASPCA.
Photo: L. Reid via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.