Flower profile

Pinkfringe

Arthrostemma ciliatum

Pinkfringe (Arthrostemma ciliatum) is a flowering plant in the Melastomataceae family.

Not native to Hawaii

Pinkfringe is a wildflower.

1states where USDA records it

856HI sightings*

856U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Hawaii

Quick look

Arthrostemma ciliatum, commonly known as pinkfringe, is a species of flowering plant native to the tropical Americas.
From Wikipedia's article Arthrostemma ciliatum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Melastomataceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to Hawaii. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 856 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #49 among the 118 flowers on our Hawaii list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Hawaii (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (23 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
Hawaii: Not listed Not on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Hawaii. ^{HAR 13-107}
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?

For peopleNot well documented

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.

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 records pinkfringe in 1 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Hawaii.

Hawaii counties with USDA records: Hawaii, Honolulu.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Arthrostemma latifolium.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 2 counties across 1 states; the most are in Hawaii (2).

More from the Melastomataceae family (6 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Maryland meadowbeauty, Virginia meadowbeauty, Savannah meadowbeauty, Koster's curse, Spanish shawl, Glory bush.

More Hawaii flowers

Koster's curse

Miconia crenata

🌼 Few flowering records in HI

Spanish shawl

Heterotis rotundifolia

🌼 Few flowering records in HI

Glory bush

Pleroma urvilleanum

🌼 Few flowering records in HI

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ARCI2.
iNaturalist, Arthrostemma ciliatum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Arthrostemma ciliatum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Hawaii: Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
Hawaii: Hawaii noxious weed list (HAR 4-68).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Arthrostemma ciliatum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Damien Wallace via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.