Flower profile
Meadow bistort
Bistorta plumosa
Meadow bistort is a wildflower. In Alaska it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Alaska
Quick look
Bistorta plumosa is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family Polygonaceae. Common names for Bistorta Plumosa include meadow bistort. Bistorta plumosa is monoecious, with flowers containing both male and female reproductive parts that are pollinated by insects.
- It belongs to the Polygonaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Alaska. NatureServe
- In Alaska, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 523 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #82 among the 108 flowers on our Alaska list. iNaturalist
Meadow bistort gift ideas
Handmade meadow bistort 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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Meadow bistort art print
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Meadow bistort greeting card
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Meadow bistort mug
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Meadow bistort earrings
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Meadow bistort embroidery pattern
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Meadow bistort sticker
When does it bloom?
In Alaska, most flowering sightings come in June–August.
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
- Alaska
- No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
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 page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
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 meadow bistort in 1 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alaska.
Alaska counties with USDA records: Anchorage, Bethel, Chugach, Copper River, Denali, Dillingham, Fairbanks North Star, Juneau, Lake and Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, Nome, North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Southeast Fairbanks, Yukon-Koyukuk.
More Alaska flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile POBIP.
- iNaturalist, Bistorta plumosa: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Bistorta plumosa (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Alaska: Alaska prohibited and restricted noxious weeds (11 AAC 34.020).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Bistorta plumosa (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Lauren McLaurin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.