Flower profile

Orange milkwort

Senega lutea

Orange milkwort (Senega lutea) is a flowering plant in the Polygalaceae family, blooming mostly March–June across the U.S.

Orange milkwort is a flowering plant. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

–states where USDA records it

4Bloomipedia state lists include it

11,261U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina

Quick look

Senega lutea, commonly known as orange- or yellow milkwort, is a small herbaceous plant in the milkwort family (Polygonaceae) native to pine-barren depressions and swamps in coastal areas of the southern and eastern the United States. Other common names include bachelor's buttons, red-hot poker, candy weed, and bog Cheetos.
From Wikipedia's article Senega lutea, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Polygalaceae family. ^iNaturalist
NatureServe lists it as native to Florida, South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi. ^NatureServe
In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–May. ^iNaturalist
In South Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–August. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 5,743 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #29 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 791 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #37 among the 171 flowers on our South Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 751 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #77 among the 167 flowers on our Alabama list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,866 records)

Bloom time in the 4 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Florida	Native	February–May	5,743
South Carolina	Native	April–August	791
Alabama	Native	April–June	751
Mississippi	Native	March–July	632

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
Florida: Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Florida. ^{FAC 5B-40.0055}
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NY (S1), PA (SX). (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)) 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.