Flower profile

Cylindrical thimbleweed

Anemone cylindrica

Cylindrical thimbleweed (Anemone cylindrica) is a flowering plant in the Ranunculaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–July across the U.S.

Native to North Dakota

Cylindrical thimbleweed is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

27states where USDA records it

70ND sightings*

1,967U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Dakota

Quick look

Anemone cylindrica, also known as thimbleweed, is an upright growing, clump forming herbaceous species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Plants grow 30–100 centimetres (12–39 in) tall, flowering early summer but often found flowering until late summer, the flowers are greenish-white. It is primarily self-pollinated.
From Wikipedia's article Anemone cylindrica, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ranunculaceae 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 27 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to North Dakota. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 70 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #93 among the 116 flowers on our North Dakota list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (87 records)

There are only a handful of North Dakota flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

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
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: ID (S1), MO (S2), NH (SH), NJ (S1), PA (S1), RI (S1), VT (S1), WY (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 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 cylindrical thimbleweed in 27 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Stutsman, Ward, Wells, Williams.

Names, range and relatives

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

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 475 counties across 25 states; the most are in Minnesota (71), Michigan (54), Wisconsin (50).

Other Anemone on Bloomipedia (2): Tenpetal anemone, Tuber anemone.

More from the Ranunculaceae family (48 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lesser celandine, Rue anemone, Red columbine, Wood anemone, Western columbine, Marsh marigold, White baneberry, Round-lobed hepatica.

More North Dakota flowers

Prairie pasqueflower

Pulsatilla nuttalliana

★ SD state floral emblemNative

🌼 Blooms in ND: April–May

Canada anemone

Anemonastrum canadense

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in ND

Plains pricklypear

Opuntia polyacantha

Native

🌼 Blooms in ND: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ANCY.
iNaturalist, Anemone cylindrica: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Anemone cylindrica (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Anemone cylindrica (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Anders Hastings via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.