Flower profile
Ithuriel's spear
Triteleia laxa
Ithuriel's spear is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Triteleia laxa is a triplet lily known by several common names, including Ithuriel's spear, common triteleia and grassnut. It is native to California where it is a common wildflower, and it is occasionally found in southwestern Oregon. It bears a tall, naked stem topped with a spray of smaller stalks, each ending in a purple or blue flower. The flower is tubular, opening into a sharply six-pointed star.
- It belongs to the Asparagaceae 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 2 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to California. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 16,576 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #39 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
Ithuriel's spear gift ideas
Handmade ithuriel's spear 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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Ithuriel's spear art print
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Ithuriel's spear greeting card
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Ithuriel's spear mug
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Ithuriel's spear earrings
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Ithuriel's spear embroidery pattern
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Ithuriel's spear sticker
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in March–June.
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
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: OR (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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension
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 ithuriel's spear in 2 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
California, Oregon.
California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Kern, Lake, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo, Yuba.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile TRLA16.
- iNaturalist, Triteleia laxa: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Triteleia laxa (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Triteleia laxa (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Dan Osipov via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.