Flower profile

Paperbag bush

Scutellaria mexicana

Paperbag bush is a flowering plant. In Nevada it's most often seen in bloom in April–September.

–states

751NV sightings*

5,267U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Nevada

Quick look

Scutellaria mexicana, commonly known by variants on bladder sage or paperbag bush, is a shrub of the mint family Lamiaceae distinctive for its calyx lobes that develop into small bag- or bladder-like shells around the fruits.
From Wikipedia's article Scutellaria mexicana, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. ^iNaturalist
In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 751 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #49 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. ^iNaturalist

Paperbag bush gift ideas

Handmade paperbag bush 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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Paperbag bush art print
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Paperbag bush greeting card
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Paperbag bush mug
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Paperbag bush earrings
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Paperbag bush embroidery pattern
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Paperbag bush sticker
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When does it bloom?

In Nevada, most flowering sightings come in April–September.

Flowering records by month in Nevada (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (166 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
Nevada: Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). ^{NAC 527.010}

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)) 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 has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

More Nevada flowers

White horehound

Marrubium vulgare

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in NV

Creosote bush

Larrea tridentata

Native

🌼 Blooms in NV: March–June

Eastern Joshua tree

Yucca jaegeriana

Native

🌼 Blooms in NV: February–May

Sources

USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
iNaturalist, Scutellaria mexicana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Scutellaria mexicana (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.
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Joey Bom via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.