Flower profile

Lewis flax

Linum lewisii

Native in the lower 48

Lewis flax is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–August.

23states

7of our state lists

8,761U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

Quick look

Linum lewisii is a perennial plant in the family Linaceae, native to western North America.
From Wikipedia's article Linum lewisii, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Linaceae 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 23 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–August. ^iNaturalist
In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–September. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as blue. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as indeterminate. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 2 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 2,176 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #72 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 856 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #68 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 588 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #40 among the 107 flowers on our Wyoming list. ^iNaturalist

Lewis flax gift ideas

Handmade lewis flax 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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Lewis flax art print
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Lewis flax greeting card
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Lewis flax mug
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Lewis flax earrings
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Lewis flax embroidery pattern
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Lewis flax sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,104 records)

Bloom time in each of our 7 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Native	May–August	2,176
Utah	Native	April–September	856
Wyoming	Native	June–August	588
Montana	Native	few records	556
Nevada	Native	April–August	521
Idaho	Native	few records	415
North Dakota	Native	few records	79

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
Colorado: No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Colorado.
Utah: No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Wyoming.
Montana: No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Montana.
Nevada: Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. ^{NAC 527.010}
Idaho: No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
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: WV (S2). (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 peopleCaution: partly edible, partly poisonous

NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: medium). Poisonous parts: leaves, sap/juice, seeds, stems. Symptoms they list: “In animals: severe respiratory difficulty followed shortly by death. Blue flax is unlikely to be a problem unless cattle and sheep eat large quantities of the plant. Seeds and oil are safe for human consumption if they are cooked.” They also note: “Once cooked, the seeds are edible; they must not be eaten raw because they contain cyanide. The seeds have a nutty taste and are nutritious.” ^{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 lewis flax in 23 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Alamosa, Archuleta, Baca, Boulder, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Douglas, El Paso, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Logan, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Otero, Park, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel, Summit, Teller.

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber.

Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Big Horn, Campbell, Carbon, Converse, Crook, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Laramie, Lincoln, Natrona, Niobrara, Park, Platte, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Washakie, Weston.

More Colorado flowers

Great mullein

Verbascum thapsus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–October

Blue columbine

Aquilegia coerulea

★ CO state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–August

Showy milkweed

Asclepias speciosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LILE3.
iNaturalist, Linum lewisii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Linum lewisii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
Utah: Utah noxious weed list (Utah Admin. Code R68-9-3).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
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, Linum lewisii (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Daughter Dad via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.