Flower profile
Golden bean
Thermopsis rhombifolia
Golden bean 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.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: North Dakota, South Dakota
Quick look
Thermopsis rhombifolia, also known as prairie thermopsis, is a species of flowering plant in the legume family. It is native to North America, where it is found in the Great Plains, with extensions into the lower canyons of the Rocky Mountains. Its natural habitat is dry grasslands and woodlands.
- It belongs to the Fabaceae 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 10 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to South Dakota and North Dakota. NatureServe
- In North Dakota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 390 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #30 among the 108 flowers on our South Dakota list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 131 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #55 among the 109 flowers on our North Dakota list. iNaturalist
Golden bean gift ideas
Handmade golden bean 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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Golden bean art print
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Golden bean greeting card
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Golden bean mug
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Golden bean earrings
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Golden bean embroidery pattern
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Golden bean sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | Native | few records | 390 |
| North Dakota | Native | April–June | 131 |
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
- South Dakota
- No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
- North Dakota
- No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: UT (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?
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 golden bean in 10 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
South Dakota counties with USDA records: Butte, Custer, Fall River, Harding, Jackson, Lawrence, Meade, Mellette, Pennington, Perkins, Walworth.
North Dakota counties with USDA records: Billings, Bowman, Burke, Burleigh, Divide, Dunn, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grant, Hettinger, Logan, McKenzie, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Oliver, Slope, Stark, Ward, Williams.
More South Dakota flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile THRH.
- iNaturalist, Thermopsis rhombifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Thermopsis rhombifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
- North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Thermopsis rhombifolia (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Bob Walker via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.