Flower profile
Great waterleaf
Hydrophyllum appendiculatum
Great waterleaf 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.
Quick look
Hydrophyllum appendiculatum, commonly known as great waterleaf, appendage waterleaf, or woolen breeches, is native to central and eastern North America where it is found primarily in the Midwest and Upper South of the United States. It is a biennial that produces lavender-colored flowers in late spring and early summer. The genus Hydrophyllum is placed in the family Hydrophyllaceae.
- It belongs to the Boraginaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a biennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 18 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Indiana and Kentucky. NatureServe
- In Indiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
- In Kentucky, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,262 research-grade sightings of it in Indiana, ranking #56 among the 109 flowers on our Indiana list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 722 research-grade sightings of it in Kentucky, ranking #84 among the 110 flowers on our Kentucky list. iNaturalist
Great waterleaf gift ideas
Handmade great waterleaf 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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Great waterleaf art print
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Great waterleaf greeting card
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Great waterleaf mug
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Great waterleaf earrings
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Great waterleaf embroidery pattern
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Great waterleaf sticker
When does it bloom?
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
- 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.
- 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
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AL (S2), MS (S1), NE (S1), NY (SH). (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 great waterleaf in 18 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin.
Indiana counties with USDA records: Allen, Bartholomew, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clinton, Crawford, Daviess, DeKalb, Decatur, Delaware, Elkhart, Fayette, Floyd, Fountain, Franklin, Fulton, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Howard, Huntington, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Lagrange, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Noble, Ohio, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Porter, Posey, Putnam, Ripley, Rush, Shelby, St. Joseph, Steuben, Sullivan, Switzerland, Tippecanoe, Union, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wells, Whitley.
Kentucky counties with USDA records: Anderson, Boone, Bourbon, Bracken, Breckinridge, Campbell, Carroll, Carter, Clark, Edmonson, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Garrard, Green, Greenup, Hardin, Harlan, Henderson, Henry, Jackson, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton, Larue, Lewis, Livingston, Lyon, Madison, Mason, McCreary, McLean, Mercer, Morgan, Nicholas, Oldham, Pendleton, Rowan, Scott, Shelby, Spencer, Todd, Trimble, Woodford.
More Indiana flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HYAP.
- iNaturalist, Hydrophyllum appendiculatum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Hydrophyllum appendiculatum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Indiana: Indiana prohibited invasive terrestrial plants (312 IAC 18-3-25).
- 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).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Hydrophyllum appendiculatum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Asher P Higgins via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.