Bloomipedia
Great waterleaf (Hydrophyllum appendiculatum)
Photo: Asher P Higgins via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Great waterleaf

Hydrophyllum appendiculatum

Great waterleaf (Hydrophyllum appendiculatum) is a flowering plant in the Boraginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

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–May.

18states where USDA records it
2Bloomipedia state lists include it
7,100U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Indiana, Kentucky

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 May. 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 #57 among the 173 flowers on our Indiana list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 722 research-grade sightings of it in Kentucky, ranking #86 among the 178 flowers on our Kentucky list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,137 records)
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
IndianaNativeMay1,262
KentuckyNativeApril–May722

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?

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 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.

Names, range and relatives

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

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Decemium appendiculatum.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 438 counties across 17 states; the most are in Missouri (79), Ohio (70), Indiana (69).

Other Hydrophyllum on Bloomipedia (3): Virginia waterleaf, Pacific waterleaf, Ballhead waterleaf.

More from the Boraginaceae family (42 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Virginia bluebells, Pacific hound's tongue, Distant phacelia, Alkali heliotrope, Virginia stickseed, Wild comfrey, Menzies' baby blue eyes, California yerba santa.

More Indiana flowers

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

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🌼 Blooms in IN: March–April
Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii)

Amur honeysuckle

Lonicera maackii

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🌼 Blooms in IN: May
Virginia springbeauty (Claytonia virginica)

Virginia springbeauty

Claytonia virginica

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🌼 Blooms in IN: March–April

Sources