Bloomipedia
Fringe cups (Tellima grandiflora)
Photo: sprcrkwild via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Fringe cups

Tellima grandiflora

Native in the lower 48

Fringe cups 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 April–June.

6states
2of our state lists
16,586U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Oregon, Washington

Quick look

Tellima grandiflora, the bigflower tellima or fringecups, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Saxifragaceae. It is the only species in the genus Tellima.

  • It belongs to the Saxifragaceae 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 6 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Oregon and Washington. NatureServe
  • In Oregon, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
  • In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 6,213 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #6 among the 110 flowers on our Oregon list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 6,207 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #18 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. iNaturalist

Fringe cups gift ideas

Handmade fringe cups 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”) (2,245 records)
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
OregonNativeApril–June6,213
WashingtonNativeApril–June6,207

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
Oregon
Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. OAR 603-073-0070
Washington
No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: ID (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?

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 fringe cups in 6 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington.

Oregon counties with USDA records: Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Union, Wasco, Washington, Yamhill.

Washington counties with USDA records: Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Klickitat, Lewis, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom.

More Oregon flowers

Threeleaf foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata)

Threeleaf foamflower

Tiarella trifoliata

Native

🌼 Blooms: May–August
Youth-on-age (Tolmiea menziesii)

Youth-on-age

Tolmiea menziesii

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–July
Pacific trillium (Trillium ovatum)

Pacific trillium

Trillium ovatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in OR: March–May

Sources