Flower profile

Downy rattlesnake plantain

Goodyera pubescens

Native in the lower 48

Downy rattlesnake plantain is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 12 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–August.

31states

12of our state lists

33,642U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Quick look

Goodyera pubescens, the downy rattlesnake plantain, is one of the most common orchids native to eastern North America. It is found from Florida to Nova Scotia, west to eastern Oklahoma, Minnesota and Ontario.
From Wikipedia's article Goodyera pubescens, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Orchidaceae 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 31 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 6,355 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #8 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 4,492 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #27 among the 110 flowers on our Virginia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,855 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #24 among the 112 flowers on our Tennessee list. ^iNaturalist

Downy rattlesnake plantain gift ideas

Handmade downy rattlesnake plantain gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,655 records)

Bloom time in each of our 12 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
North Carolina	Native	July–August	6,355
Virginia	Native	July–September	4,492
Tennessee	Native	July–August	2,855
Massachusetts	Native	July–September	1,974
Maryland	Native	July–August	1,893
Ohio	Native	July–August	1,865
Georgia	Native	July–August	1,435
West Virginia	Native	July–August	1,271
Kentucky	Native	July–August	1,231
Connecticut	Native	July–August	861
South Carolina	Native	July–August	583
Rhode Island	Native	few records	195

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 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}
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
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}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
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}
Ohio: Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Ohio. ^{OAC 1501:18-1-03}
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: S5, secure in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
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.
Kentucky: Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: S5, secure in Kentucky. ^{400 KAR 3:040}
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}
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
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: S4, apparently secure in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: FL (S1), MS (S1). (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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{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 downy rattlesnake plantain in 31 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, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Bladen, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Clay, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Gates, Graham, Granville, Guilford, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Nash, Northampton, Orange, Perquimans, Person, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Accomack, Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesapeake , Chesterfield, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Grayson, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Hampton , Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Highland, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Lee, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, New Kent, Newport News , Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Sussex, Tazewell, Virginia Beach , Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise, Wythe, York.

Tennessee counties with USDA records: Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Carter, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Cumberland, Dickson, Fentress, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Hamblen, Hawkins, Henry, Jackson, Johnson, Knox, McMinn, Monroe, Moore, Morgan, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Rutherford, Scott, Sevier, Stewart, Sumner, Unicoi, Van Buren, Wayne, Williamson.

More North Carolina flowers

Pink lady's slipper

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Crane-fly orchid

Tipularia discolor

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Showy orchis

Galearis spectabilis

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🌼 Blooms in NC: April–May

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile GOPU.
iNaturalist, Goodyera pubescens: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Goodyera pubescens (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
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).
Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
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).
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.).
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).
Ohio: Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024).
Ohio: Ohio invasive plant species (Ohio Adm. Code 901:5-30-01).
Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
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).
Kentucky: Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026).
Kentucky: Kentucky noxious weeds and invasive plants on state rights-of-way (KRS 176.051; species list from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet).
Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
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, Goodyera pubescens (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Dawn Nelson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.