Flower profile
Prairie bluebells
Mertensia lanceolata
Prairie bluebells is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Colorado, South Dakota
Quick look
Mertensia lanceolata, known as prairie bluebells, lance-leaved bluebells, lance-leaved lungwort, and narrow-leaved languid ladies is a species of flowering plant native to the Rocky Mountains and areas of the northern Great Plains in western North America. A herbaceous perennial it has blue-green leaves alternately arranged on its smooth flowering stalk. Its flower buds are pink-purple and become blue as they open.
- It belongs to the Boraginaceae 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 8 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado and South Dakota. NatureServe
- In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,941 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #84 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 155 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #96 among the 108 flowers on our South Dakota list. iNaturalist
Prairie bluebells gift ideas
Handmade prairie bluebells 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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Prairie bluebells art print
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Prairie bluebells greeting card
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Prairie bluebells mug
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Prairie bluebells earrings
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Prairie bluebells embroidery pattern
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Prairie bluebells sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Native | April–July | 1,941 |
| South Dakota | Native | few records | 155 |
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.
- South Dakota
- No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NE (S2). (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 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 prairie bluebells in 8 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming.
Colorado counties with USDA records: Alamosa, Arapahoe, Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Costilla, Custer, Denver, Dolores, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Elbert, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Mineral, Montezuma, Park, Pitkin, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, Summit, Teller.
South Dakota counties with USDA records: Brule, Clay, Corson, Custer, Fall River, Haakon, Harding, Jackson, Lawrence, Meade, Pennington, Stanley.
More Colorado flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MELA3.
- iNaturalist, Mertensia lanceolata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Mertensia lanceolata (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).
- South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Mertensia lanceolata (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: natepow via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.