Bloomipedia
Pigeonwings (Clitoria mariana)
Photo: Raven Dandridge via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Pigeonwings

Clitoria mariana

Pigeonwings (Clitoria mariana) is a vine in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Pigeonwings is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

30states where USDA records it
3Bloomipedia state lists include it
7,847U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Arkansas, Georgia, South Carolina

Quick look

Clitoria mariana, known by the common names butterfly pea and Atlantic pigeon wings, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the pea family, Fabaceae. The plant is native to the United States.

  • It belongs to the Fabaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a vine with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 30 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Georgia, Arkansas and South Carolina. NatureServe
  • In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
  • In Arkansas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–August. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,192 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #77 among the 183 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 571 research-grade sightings of it in Arkansas, ranking #100 among the 170 flowers on our Arkansas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 522 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #70 among the 171 flowers on our South Carolina list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (990 records)
Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
GeorgiaNativeJune–August1,192
ArkansasNativeMay–August571
South CarolinaNativeJune–August522

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
Georgia
Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
Arkansas
No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
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: SNR, not yet ranked in South Carolina.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (S2), OH (S2), PA (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 pigeonwings in 30 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Barrow, Bartow, Brooks, Calhoun, Chatham, Cherokee, Clarke, Columbia, Elbert, Floyd, Fulton, Gilmer, Hall, Harris, Houston, Jones, Long, Lowndes, Madison, McIntosh, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Oglethorpe, Rabun, Rockdale, Spalding, Stephens, Talbot, Tift, Walker, Wilkinson.

Arkansas counties with USDA records: Arkansas, Ashley, Benton, Boone, Bradley, Clay, Cleburne, Conway, Craighead, Cross, Drew, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Garland, Greene, Hempstead, Independence, Izard, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Lee, Logan, Madison, Miller, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton, Perry, Phillips, Poinsett, Polk, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Scott, Sebastian, Sevier, Sharp, St. Francis, Stone, Union, Washington, Yell.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Cherokee, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Edgefield, Florence, Georgetown, Greenwood, Hampton, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union, Williamsburg, York.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Martiusia mariana.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 626 counties across 26 states; the most are in North Carolina (84), Virginia (76), Tennessee (49).

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.

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Sources