Flower profile
Desert chicory
Rafinesquia neomexicana
Desert chicory is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Arizona it's most often seen in bloom in March–April.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona
Quick look
Rafinesquia neomexicana is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Common names include desert chicory, plumeseed, or New Mexico plumeseed. It has white showy flowers, milky sap, and weak, zigzag stems, that may grow up through other shrubs for support. It is an annual plant found in dry climate areas of the southwestern deserts of the US and northwestern deserts of Mexico.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. NatureServe
- In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,595 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #55 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
Desert chicory gift ideas
Handmade desert chicory gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Desert chicory art print
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Desert chicory greeting card
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Desert chicory mug
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Desert chicory earrings
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Desert chicory embroidery pattern
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Desert chicory sticker
When does it bloom?
In Arizona, most flowering sightings come in March–April.
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
- Arizona
- Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: TX (S1), UT (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?
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.
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 desert chicory in 6 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah.
Arizona counties with USDA records: Apache, Gila, Graham, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, Yuma.
More Arizona flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile RANE.
- iNaturalist, Rafinesquia neomexicana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Rafinesquia neomexicana (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
- Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Rafinesquia neomexicana (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Samuel A Schmid, PhD, PWS via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.