Flower profile
Little heartleaf
Asarum minus
Little heartleaf is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In North Carolina it's most often seen in bloom in February–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: North Carolina
Quick look
Asarum minus, the little heartleaf or little brown jug, is a species of flowering plant in the Aristolochiaceae family. It is native to the southeast United States.
- It belongs to the Aristolochiaceae 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 3 states. USDA PLANTS
- In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,946 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #90 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
Little heartleaf gift ideas
Handmade little heartleaf 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.
-
Placeholder
Little heartleaf art print
-
Placeholder
Little heartleaf greeting card
-
Placeholder
Little heartleaf mug
-
Placeholder
Little heartleaf earrings
-
Placeholder
Little heartleaf embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
Little heartleaf sticker
When does it bloom?
In North Carolina, most flowering sightings come in February–May.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe
- Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe
- North Carolina
- Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). 02 NCAC 48F .0301
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: medium). Poisonous parts: leaves, roots, stems. Symptoms they list: “Aristolochic acid is nephrotoxic and a carcinogen. Do not consume this plant.” 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 little heartleaf in 3 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia.
North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Catawba, Chatham, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Gaston, Granville, Guilford, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Martin, Moore, Orange, Person, Pitt, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Rowan, Vance, Wake.
More North Carolina flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HEMI13.
- iNaturalist, Asarum minus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Asarum minus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Michael J. Papay via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.