Flower profile

Illinois bundleflower

Desmanthus illinoensis

Illinois bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis) is a low shrub in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Illinois bundleflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

30states where USDA records it

5Bloomipedia state lists include it

12,989U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma

Quick look

Desmanthus illinoensis, commonly known as Illinois bundleflower, prairie-mimosa or prickleweed, is a common plant in the central and southern United States.
From Wikipedia's article Desmanthus illinoensis, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Fabaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 30 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa. ^NatureServe
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 1,190 research-grade sightings of it in Kansas, ranking #8 among the 151 flowers on our Kansas list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 889 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #75 among the 177 flowers on our Missouri list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 791 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #36 among the 159 flowers on our Oklahoma list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (381 records)

Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Kansas	Native	few records (13)	1,190
Missouri	Native	few records (13)	889
Oklahoma	Native	few records (9)	791
Nebraska	Native	few records (8)	358
Iowa	Native	few records (9)	280

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
Kansas: No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: S5, secure in Kansas.
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}
Oklahoma: No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
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}
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}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: ND (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 illinois bundleflower in 30 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

Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Kansas counties with USDA records: Allen, Anderson, Atchison, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Brown, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Clay, Cloud, Coffey, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Franklin, Geary, Gove, Graham, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Hodgeman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Lane, Leavenworth, Lincoln, Linn, Logan, Lyon, Marion, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Miami, Mitchell, Montgomery, Morris, Morton, Nemaha, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Osage, Osborne, Ottawa, Pawnee, Phillips, Pottawatomie, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Republic, Rice, Riley, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Saline, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Shawnee, Sheridan, Smith, Stafford, Stevens, Sumner, Trego, Wabaunsee, Wallace, Washington, Wichita, Wilson, Woodson, Wyandotte.

Missouri counties with USDA records: Andrew, Atchison, Audrain, Barry, Barton, Bates, Benton, Boone, Buchanan, Butler, Caldwell, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carroll, Cass, Cedar, Chariton, Christian, Clay, Clinton, Cole, Cooper, Dade, Daviess, DeKalb, Franklin, Gentry, Greene, Grundy, Harrison, Henry, Holt, Howard, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Lafayette, Livingston, Macon, Maries, McDonald, Mississippi, Moniteau, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, New Madrid, Osage, Ozark, Pemiscot, Pettis, Pike, Platte, Polk, Putnam, Ralls, Randolph, Ray, Saline, Scott, St. Charles, St. Clair, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Vernon, Warren, Washington.

Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Alfalfa, Atoka, Beaver, Bryan, Caddo, Choctaw, Cimarron, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Custer, Garfield, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Greer, Harper, Jackson, Kay, Kiowa, Lincoln, Logan, Major, Marshall, McClain, McCurtain, Murray, Muskogee, Noble, Oklahoma, Ottawa, Payne, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Texas, Tulsa, Washita, Woods.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Illinois bundleflower a high shade tolerance, medium drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.0 to 8.0 and winter lows down to -18 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: Medium
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 5.0 to 8.0
Minimum temperature tolerated: -18 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 130
Annual precipitation range: 16 to 24 inches
Minimum root depth: 12 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Summer
Can be propagated by: seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for DEIL. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Acuan illinoense, Mimosa illinoensis.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 671 counties across 29 states; the most are in Texas (106), Kansas (100), Missouri (71).

More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.

More Kansas flowers

Eastern redbud

Cercis canadensis

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🌼 Few flowering records in KS

Leadplant

Amorpha canescens

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in KS

Yellow sweetclover

Melilotus officinalis

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in KS

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile DEIL.
iNaturalist, Desmanthus illinoensis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Desmanthus illinoensis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
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).
Iowa: Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3).
Iowa: Iowa noxious weeds (Iowa Code § 317.1A).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Desmanthus illinoensis (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Emmett Collins-Sussman via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.