Flower profile
Desert marigold
Baileya multiradiata
Desert marigold 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 March–November.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico
Quick look
Baileya multiradiata is a North American species of sun-loving wildflower in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the deserts of northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. It has been found in the States of Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Aguascalientes, California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Texas.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial, perennial 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, Nevada and New Mexico. NatureServe
- In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–December. iNaturalist
- In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–November. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,814 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #31 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,365 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #19 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 866 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #65 among the 109 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist
Desert marigold gift ideas
Handmade desert marigold 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 marigold art print
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Desert marigold greeting card
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Desert marigold mug
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Desert marigold earrings
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Desert marigold embroidery pattern
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Desert marigold sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | Native | March–December | 2,814 |
| Nevada | Native | March–November | 1,365 |
| New Mexico | Native | March–September | 866 |
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
- Nevada
- Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. NAC 527.010
- New Mexico
- Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
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 marigold 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: Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma.
Nevada counties with USDA records: Clark, Lincoln, Nye.
New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Hidalgo, Lincoln, Luna, Otero, San Miguel, Sandoval, Sierra, Socorro, Torrance, Valencia.
More Arizona flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile BAMU.
- iNaturalist, Baileya multiradiata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Baileya multiradiata (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).
- Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
- Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
- New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
- New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Baileya multiradiata (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Matthew Lumsden via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.