Bloomipedia
Lizard's tail (Saururus cernuus)
Photo: stephen via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Lizard's tail

Saururus cernuus

Native in the lower 48

Lizard's tail is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 9 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.

29states
9of our state lists
22,469U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia

Quick look

Saururus cernuus is a species of herbaceous perennial plant.

  • It belongs to the Saururaceae 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 29 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 3,627 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #78 among the 110 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,378 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #67 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,217 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #74 among the 110 flowers on our Virginia list. iNaturalist

Lizard's tail gift ideas

Handmade lizard's tail 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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    Lizard's tail art print

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,346 records)
Bloom time in each of our 9 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
FloridaNativeMarch–May3,627
North CarolinaNativeMay–July2,378
VirginiaNativeJune–July2,217
MarylandNativeJune–July1,578
LouisianaNativeApril–May1,478
South CarolinaNativeMay–June1,021
AlabamaNativeApril–June747
MississippiNativeApril–June528
DelawareNativefew records163

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
Florida
Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S5, secure in Florida. FAC 5B-40.0055
North Carolina
Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
Virginia
Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. 2VAC5-320-10
Maryland
Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. COMAR 08.03.08
Louisiana
No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
South Carolina
No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
Mississippi
No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Delaware
Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: S5, secure in Delaware. DE rare plants 2024
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CT (S1), KS (S2), MA (SH), RI (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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. 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 lizard's tail in 29 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Walton, Washington.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Anson, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Burke, Camden, Carteret, Caswell, Chatham, Chowan, Cleveland, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Davie, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Iredell, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Randolph, Robeson, Rowan, Sampson, Stanly, Swain, Tyrrell, Union, Vance, Wake, Washington, Wayne, Wilson, Yadkin.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Accomack, Albemarle, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesapeake , Chesterfield, Clarke, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fairfax, Fluvanna, Frederick, Gloucester, Goochland, Greensville, Halifax, Hampton , Hanover, Henrico, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Lee, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Nelson, New Kent, Newport News , Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Orange, Pittsylvania, Prince George, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Rockingham, Scott, Shenandoah, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Suffolk , Surry, Sussex, Virginia Beach , Warren, Westmoreland, York.

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Sources