Flower profile
Owlsclaws
Hymenoxys hoopesii
Owlsclaws is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Colorado it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Colorado
Quick look
Hymenoxys hoopesii is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common names owl's claws, orange sneezeweed, and yerba del lobo. It is native to the western United States, where it grows in habitats of moderate elevation, such as mountain meadows in the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, southern Cascades, and other ranges.
- 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 10 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado. NatureServe
- In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,584 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #101 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
Owlsclaws gift ideas
Handmade owlsclaws 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.
-
Placeholder
Owlsclaws art print
-
Placeholder
Owlsclaws greeting card
-
Placeholder
Owlsclaws mug
-
Placeholder
Owlsclaws earrings
-
Placeholder
Owlsclaws embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
Owlsclaws sticker
When does it bloom?
In Colorado, most flowering sightings come in June–August.
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
- 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?
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 owlsclaws in 10 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming.
Colorado counties with USDA records: Costilla, Custer, Delta, El Paso, Garfield, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, La Plata, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt, San Juan, San Miguel, Summit.
More Colorado flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HYHO.
- iNaturalist, Hymenoxys hoopesii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Hymenoxys hoopesii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Hymenoxys hoopesii (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Chase Mathey via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.