Flower profile

Greater celandine

Chelidonium majus

Introduced in the lower 48

Greater celandine is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 6 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.

29states

6of our state lists

25,151U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

Quick look

Chelidonium majus, the greater celandine, is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae. One of two species in the genus Chelidonium, it is native to Europe and western Asia and introduced widely in North America.
From Wikipedia's article Chelidonium majus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Papaveraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a biennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 29 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island. ^NatureServe
In New York, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. ^iNaturalist
In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 4,882 research-grade sightings of it in New York, ranking #44 among the 109 flowers on our New York list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 4,841 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #25 among the 110 flowers on our Massachusetts list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,610 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #54 among the 111 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. ^iNaturalist

Greater celandine gift ideas

Handmade greater celandine 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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Greater celandine art print
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Greater celandine earrings
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Greater celandine embroidery pattern
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Greater celandine sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,990 records)

Bloom time in each of our 6 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New York	Introduced	April–July	4,882
Massachusetts	Introduced	May–July	4,841
Pennsylvania	Introduced	April–June	3,610
Vermont	Introduced	May–July	1,887
Connecticut	Introduced	April–June	1,421
Rhode Island	Introduced	May	346

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
New York: Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
Pennsylvania: Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Pennsylvania. ^{17 Pa. Code Ch. 45}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peoplePoisonous to people

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: high). Poisonous parts: flowers, leaves, roots, sap/juice. Symptoms they list: “Can cause nausea, vomiting and liver failure. The sap is extremely irritating to the skin and eyes.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 greater celandine in 29 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

New York counties with USDA records: Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Herkimer, Kings, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Nassau, New York, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Seneca, Steuben, Suffolk, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Westchester, Yates.

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming, York.