Bloomipedia
Miner's candle (Oreocarya virgata)
Photo: Jonathan Layman via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Miner's candle

Oreocarya virgata

Miner's candle (Oreocarya virgata) is a flowering plant in the Boraginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Native to Colorado

Miner's candle is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Colorado it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

2states where USDA records it
1,920CO sightings*
2,103U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Colorado

Quick look

Oreocarya virgata, the miner's candle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Boraginaceae, native to the U.S. states of Wyoming and Colorado. It is a biennial herb reaching 0.9 m (3 ft), with white flowers.

  • It belongs to the Boraginaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a biennial, 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 Colorado. NatureServe
  • In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,920 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #85 among the 160 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Colorado, most flowering sightings come in May–July.

Flowering records by month in Colorado (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (94 records)

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
Colorado
No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Colorado.
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?

For peopleNot well documented

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.

For petsNot well documented

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 miner's candle in 2 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Colorado, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Boulder, Clear Creek, Douglas, El Paso, Gilpin, Jefferson, Larimer, Teller.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 12 counties across 2 states; the most are in Colorado (8), Wyoming (4).

Other Oreocarya on Bloomipedia (2): Brenda's yellow cryptantha, Cockscomb oreocarya.

More from the Boraginaceae family (42 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Virginia bluebells, Virginia waterleaf, Pacific hound's tongue, Distant phacelia, Alkali heliotrope, Virginia stickseed, Wild comfrey, Menzies' baby blue eyes.

More Colorado flowers

Silky phacelia (Phacelia sericea)

Silky phacelia

Phacelia sericea

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–July
Hound's-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale)

Hound's-tongue

Cynoglossum officinale

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: May–June
Prairie bluebells (Mertensia lanceolata)

Prairie bluebells

Mertensia lanceolata

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: April–June

Sources