Flower profile

Northern green-and-gold

Chrysogonum virginianum

Northern green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

Native to North Carolina

Northern green-and-gold is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In North Carolina it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

15states where USDA records it

2,185NC sightings*

3,728U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Carolina

Quick look

Chrysogonum virginianum, the golden-knee, green and gold, or goldenstar, is a North American species of plants in the family Asteraceae. It is native to the eastern United States from New York State and Rhode Island south to Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle.
From Wikipedia's article Chrysogonum virginianum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae 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 15 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to North Carolina. ^NatureServe
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,185 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #81 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In North Carolina, most flowering sightings come in March–May.

Flowering records by month in North Carolina (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (264 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: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
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}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: PA (S1), SC (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 Northern green-and-gold in 15 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Anson, Bladen, Brunswick, Burke, Cabarrus, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cumberland, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Granville, Guilford, Harnett, Iredell, Johnston, Lee, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Orange, Person, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Transylvania, Vance, Wake, Wayne, Wilkes, Wilson.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 225 counties across 15 states; the most are in Virginia (62), North Carolina (46), Georgia (37).

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More North Carolina flowers

Cutleaf coneflower

Rudbeckia laciniata

Native

🌼 Blooms in NC: July–September

Dogfennel

Eupatorium capillifolium

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NC

Yellow crownbeard

Verbesina occidentalis

Native

🌼 Blooms in NC: September–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CHVI5.
iNaturalist, Chrysogonum virginianum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Chrysogonum virginianum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Chrysogonum virginianum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Michael J. Papay via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.