Flower profile
Mojave woodyaster
Xylorhiza tortifolia
Mojave woodyaster is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Nevada it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Nevada
Quick look
Xylorhiza tortifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, known by the common names Mojave-aster and Mojave woodyaster. The plant forms a small shrub with glandular leaves. The flower rays can be lavender, light blue, or white. Some varieties are known.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae 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 4 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Nevada. NatureServe
- In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 781 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #47 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist
Mojave woodyaster gift ideas
Handmade mojave woodyaster 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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Mojave woodyaster art print
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Mojave woodyaster greeting card
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Mojave woodyaster mug
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Mojave woodyaster earrings
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Mojave woodyaster embroidery pattern
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Mojave woodyaster sticker
When does it bloom?
In Nevada, most flowering sightings come in March–May.
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
- Nevada
- Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. NAC 527.010
- 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 mojave woodyaster in 4 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah.
Nevada counties with USDA records: Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Nye.
More Nevada flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile XYTO2.
- iNaturalist, Xylorhiza tortifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Xylorhiza tortifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
- Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Xylorhiza tortifolia (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Dawn Nelson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.