Flower profile
Hoary puccoon
Lithospermum canescens
Hoary puccoon is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota
Quick look
Lithospermum canescens, or the hoary puccoon is a perennial herb endemic to eastern North America. The plant grows in a variety of habitats. It has golden yellow flowers which bloom from April to May.
- 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 28 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota. NatureServe
- In Missouri, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
- In Iowa, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,062 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #63 among the 109 flowers on our Missouri list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 264 research-grade sightings of it in Iowa, ranking #100 among the 109 flowers on our Iowa list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 194 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #75 among the 108 flowers on our South Dakota list. iNaturalist
Hoary puccoon gift ideas
Handmade hoary puccoon 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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Hoary puccoon art print
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Hoary puccoon greeting card
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Hoary puccoon mug
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Hoary puccoon earrings
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Hoary puccoon embroidery pattern
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Hoary puccoon sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 4 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | Native | March–May | 1,062 |
| Iowa | Native | April–June | 264 |
| South Dakota | Native | May–June | 194 |
| North Dakota | Native | May–June | 82 |
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
- Missouri
- Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
- Iowa
- Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
- 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: LA (S1), NC (S2), NJ (SX), PA (S2), SC (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?
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 hoary puccoon in 28 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.
Missouri counties with USDA records: Adair, Andrew, Atchison, Audrain, Barry, Barton, Bates, Benton, Bollinger, Boone, Caldwell, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cass, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Dent, Douglas, Franklin, Gasconade, Gentry, Greene, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Hickory, Howell, Iron, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Laclede, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Linn, Livingston, Macon, Madison, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Miller, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Nodaway, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Perry, Pettis, Phelps, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Ray, Reynolds, Ripley, Saline, Schuyler, Shannon, Shelby, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Texas, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wright.
Iowa counties with USDA records: Adair, Audubon, Boone, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Dickinson, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Ida, Kossuth, Lyon, Madison, Mills, Monona, O'Brien, Osceola, Page, Plymouth, Pottawattamie, Shelby, Sioux, Story, Union, Washington, Webster, Woodbury.
South Dakota counties with USDA records: Bennett, Brookings, Clay, Codington, Day, Deuel, Gregory, Hamlin, Hutchinson, Lake, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marshall, McCook, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, Todd, Tripp, Turner, Union, Yankton.
More Missouri flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LICA12.
- iNaturalist, Lithospermum canescens: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Lithospermum canescens (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
- Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
- Iowa: Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3).
- Iowa: Iowa noxious weeds (Iowa Code § 317.1A).
- 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, Lithospermum canescens (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Scott Loarie via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.