Bloomipedia
Nickernut (Guilandina bonduc)
Photo: Eric Schmidt via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Nickernut

Guilandina bonduc

Nickernut (Guilandina bonduc) is a shrub in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

Native in the lower 48

Nickernut is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

4states where USDA records it
3,844FL sightings*
3,936U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Florida

Quick look

Guilandina bonduc, commonly known as nicker nut amongst other names, is a species of flowering plant in the bean family Fabaceae that has a mostly pantropical distribution. It is a scrambling, thorny shrub or vine that is mostly found close to coastlines, and was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus.

  • It belongs to the Fabaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a vine 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
  • iNaturalist has 3,844 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #68 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Florida (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (40 records)

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
Florida
Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). FAC 5B-40.0055

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 nickernut in 4 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Texas.

Florida counties with USDA records: Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Indian River, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Sarasota, St. Lucie, Volusia.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Hawaii: Probably introduced; Lower 48 states: Native; Pacific Basin (excluding Hawaii): Native; Puerto Rico: Native; U.S. Virgin Islands: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 33 counties across 5 states; the most are in Florida (15), Palau (12), Hawaii (4).

More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.

More Florida flowers

Eastern coral bean (Erythrina herbacea)

Eastern coral bean

Erythrina herbacea

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: March–May
Partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata)

Partridge pea

Chamaecrista fasciculata

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: June–September
Rosary pea (Abrus precatorius)

Rosary pea

Abrus precatorius

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in FL: August–October

Sources