Flower profile
Pigeonwings
Clitoria mariana
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 May–August.
*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 May–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 #73 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 571 research-grade sightings of it in Arkansas, ranking #97 among the 109 flowers on our Arkansas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 522 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #66 among the 111 flowers on our South Carolina list. iNaturalist
Pigeonwings gift ideas
Handmade pigeonwings 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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Pigeonwings art print
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Pigeonwings greeting card
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Pigeonwings mug
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Pigeonwings earrings
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Pigeonwings embroidery pattern
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Pigeonwings sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Native | May–August | 1,192 |
| Arkansas | Native | May–August | 571 |
| South Carolina | Native | May–August | 522 |
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?
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
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.
More Georgia flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CLMA4.
- iNaturalist, Clitoria mariana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Clitoria mariana (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
- Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Clitoria mariana (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Raven Dandridge via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.