Bloomipedia
Desert prince's plume (Stanleya pinnata)
Photo: Michael J. Papay via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Desert prince's plume

Stanleya pinnata

Native in the lower 48

Desert prince's plume is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

15states
2of our state lists
4,855U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Nevada, Utah

Quick look

Stanleya pinnata is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae known as desert prince's-plume. It is a perennial herb or shrub native to North America.

  • It belongs to the Brassicaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 15 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Utah and Nevada. NatureServe
  • In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
  • In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,724 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #19 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 812 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #41 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist

Desert prince's plume gift ideas

Handmade desert prince's plume 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 prince's plume art print

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    Desert prince's plume mug

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    Desert prince's plume earrings

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    Desert prince's plume embroidery pattern

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    Desert prince's plume sticker

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (788 records)
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
UtahNativeApril–June1,724
NevadaNativeMarch–June812

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
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Nevada
Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nevada. NAC 527.010
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?

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 desert prince's plume in 15 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

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

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Box Elder, Carbon, Daggett, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, Rich, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Washington, Wayne.

Nevada counties with USDA records: Carson City, Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey, Washoe, White Pine.

More Utah flowers

Annual honesty (Lunaria annua)

Annual honesty

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🌼 Blooms in UT: April–May
Crossflower (Chorispora tenella)

Crossflower

Chorispora tenella

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in UT: March–May
Woad (Isatis tinctoria)

Woad

Isatis tinctoria

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in UT: April–June

Sources