Bloomipedia
False rue anemone (Enemion biternatum)
Photo: Jensyn Scott via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

False rue anemone

Enemion biternatum

False rue anemone (Enemion biternatum) is a flowering plant in the Ranunculaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

False rue anemone is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

23states where USDA records it
5Bloomipedia state lists include it
12,499U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri

Quick look

Enemion biternatum, commonly known as the false rue-anemone, is a spring ephemeral native to moist deciduous woodland in the eastern United States and extreme southern Ontario.

  • 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 23 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Iowa. NatureServe
  • In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • In Indiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,613 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #70 among the 180 flowers on our Illinois list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,723 research-grade sightings of it in Indiana, ranking #40 among the 173 flowers on our Indiana list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,690 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #75 among the 152 flowers on our Minnesota list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,125 records)
Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
IllinoisNativeMarch–May2,613
IndianaNativeMarch–May1,723
MinnesotaNativeApril–October1,690
MissouriNativeMarch–April792
IowaNativeApril–May453

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
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 4 of our 5 states.
See each state
Illinois
Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: S5, secure in Illinois. IL E&T checklist 2025
Minnesota
Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. Minn. R. 6134.0300
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Indiana.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AL (S2), FL (S1), MS (S1), NC (S2), NY (SX), SC (S1), SD (SH), VA (S1), WV (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 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 false rue anemone in 23 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Alexander, Brown, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Iroquois, Jackson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Sangamon, Schuyler, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago.

Indiana counties with USDA records: Allen, Blackford, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clay, Crawford, Daviess, DeKalb, Delaware, Elkhart, Fayette, Floyd, Fountain, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Howard, Huntington, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Lagrange, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Noble, Ohio, Owen, Parke, Posey, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, Spencer, St. Joseph, Steuben, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, Wayne, Wells.

Minnesota counties with USDA records: Anoka, Blue Earth, Brown, Chisago, Dakota, Fillmore, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Le Sueur, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Olmsted, Pine, Ramsey, Rice, Sherburne, Stearns, Wabasha, Washington, Winona, Wright.

Names, range and relatives

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

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Isopyrum biternatum.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 460 counties across 21 states; the most are in Missouri (84), Illinois (75), Indiana (55).

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 Illinois flowers

Red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Red columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Native

🌼 Blooms in IL: April–June
Sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba)

Sharp-lobed hepatica

Hepatica acutiloba

Native

🌼 Blooms in IL: March–April
Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna)

Lesser celandine

Ficaria verna

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in IL: April

Sources