Flower profile

Cucumber root

Medeola virginiana

Cucumber root (Medeola virginiana) is a flowering plant in the Liliaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–June across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Cucumber root is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 11 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–June.

30states where USDA records it

11Bloomipedia state lists include it

29,962U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia

Quick look

Medeola virginiana, known as Indian cucumber, cucumber root, or Indian cucumber-root, is an eastern North American plant species in the lily family, Liliaceae. It is the only currently recognized plant species in the genus Medeola. It grows in the understory of forests. The plant bears edible rhizomes that have a mild cucumber-like flavor.
From Wikipedia's article Medeola, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Liliaceae 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 30 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 4,294 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #31 among the 188 flowers on our Massachusetts list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,830 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #59 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,726 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #77 among the 190 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,629 records)

Bloom time in the 11 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Massachusetts	Native	May–June	4,294
North Carolina	Native	May–June	2,830
Pennsylvania	Native	May–June	2,726
Virginia	Native	April–June	2,077
Maryland	Native	May–June	2,013
Vermont	Native	May–June	1,898
Maine	Native	May–July	1,799
Tennessee	Native	April–June	1,416
Connecticut	Native	few records (33)	910
West Virginia	Native	few records (18)	549
Rhode Island	Native	few records (6)	287

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

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 10 of our 11 states.

See each state

Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
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}
Pennsylvania: Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: S5, secure in Pennsylvania. ^{17 Pa. Code Ch. 45}
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
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}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}

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.

Rare elsewhere

Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: FL (S1), IL (S1), LA (S1), MO (SH). (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 peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “The thickened rootstalk of this plant may be eaten raw, resembling somewhat the taste of cucumber. It may also be used in salads. Although Native Americans used the rootstalk for food, this is no longer recommended because plants are becoming quite scarce in many regions.” ^{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 cucumber root in 30 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

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

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Avery, Bertie, Bladen, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Clay, Cumberland, Davie, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Graham, Guilford, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Martin, McDowell, Mitchell, Moore, Orange, Pender, Pitt, Polk, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Wake, Warren, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 681 counties across 28 states; the most are in Virginia (93), Pennsylvania (66), Michigan (56).

More from the Liliaceae family (32 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Yellow trout lily, Bluebead lily, White fawnlily, Checker lily, White globe lily, Glacier lily, Yellow mariposa lily, Tolmie's pussy ears.

More Massachusetts flowers

Yellow trout lily

Erythronium americanum

Native

🌼 Blooms in MA: April–May

Garden tulip

Tulipa gesneriana

🌷 Garden flower

🌷 Grown in Massachusetts gardens

Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in MA: May–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MEVI.
iNaturalist, Medeola virginiana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Medeola (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (20):
Show all 20 state lists
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
- 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).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
- Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
- Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
- Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
- Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
- Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
- Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
- Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
- Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
- 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).
- Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
- Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
- 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).
- Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Medeola virginiana (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Tom Scavo via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.