Flower profile

Hairy puccoon

Lithospermum caroliniense

Hairy puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense) is a flowering plant in the Boraginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Native to Nebraska

Hairy puccoon is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

27states where USDA records it

160NE sightings*

5,152U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Nebraska

Quick look

Lithospermum caroliniense, commonly known as the hairy puccoon or Carolina puccoon or Plains puccoon, is a flowering plant found in the Midwestern United States and Canadian provinces surrounding the Great Lakes. The plant grows in sandhills, pine barrens, and dry, sandy woods.
From Wikipedia's article Lithospermum caroliniense, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Boraginaceae 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 27 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Nebraska. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 160 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #100 among the 147 flowers on our Nebraska list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Nebraska (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (15 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Nebraska: Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. ^{163 NAC 4-004}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S2), MS (S1), OH (S2), VA (S1). (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 hairy puccoon in 27 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Nebraska counties with USDA records: Antelope, Arthur, Blaine, Box Butte, Brown, Buffalo, Cherry, Cuming, Custer, Dawson, Dodge, Douglas, Fillmore, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Greeley, Hall, Holt, Hooker, Howard, Jefferson, Kearney, Keith, Keya Paha, Knox, Lincoln, Logan, Madison, McPherson, Nance, Phelps, Pierce, Platte, Richardson, Rock, Saunders, Sheridan, Sherman, Stanton, Thomas, Wheeler.

Names, range and relatives

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

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 391 counties across 24 states; the most are in Michigan (46), Texas (45), Wisconsin (45).

Other Lithospermum on Bloomipedia (4): Narrowleaf puccoon, Hoary puccoon, Manyflowered gromwell, Western false gromwell.

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

More Nebraska flowers

Aunt lucy

Ellisia nyctelea

Native

🌼 Blooms in NE: April–May

Virginia waterleaf

Hydrophyllum virginianum

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NE

Narrowleaf puccoon

Lithospermum incisum

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NE

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LICA13.
iNaturalist, Lithospermum caroliniense: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Lithospermum caroliniense (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Lithospermum caroliniense (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Norah Tempus via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.