Flower profile

Prairie pasqueflower

Pulsatilla nuttalliana

Prairie pasqueflower (Pulsatilla nuttalliana) is a flowering plant in the Ranunculaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–May across the U.S.

★ Official state floral emblem of South Dakota (1903)Native in the lower 48

Prairie pasqueflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

18states where USDA records it

5Bloomipedia state lists include it

12,140U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming

🏅

South Dakota's official state floral emblem since 1903. Visit the South Dakota page → ^{SDCL 1-6-10} The law calls it Pulsatilla hirsutissima, an older name for Pulsatilla nuttalliana (also called Anemone patens). The state motto that goes with it: “I Lead.”

Quick look

Pulsatilla nuttalliana, known as American pasqueflower, prairie pasqueflower, prairie crocus, or simply pasqueflower, is a flowering plant native to much of North America, from the western side of Lake Michigan, to northern Canada in the Northwest Territories, south to New Mexico in the southwestern United States. Pasqueflower is the provincial flower of Manitoba and the state flower of South Dakota.
From Wikipedia's article Pulsatilla nuttalliana, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ranunculaceae 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 18 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and North Dakota. ^NatureServe
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
In Montana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 5,713 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #13 among the 160 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,197 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #22 among the 128 flowers on our Montana list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 794 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #21 among the 113 flowers on our Wyoming list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (3,248 records)

Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Native	April–June	5,713
Montana	Native	April–June	1,197
Wyoming	Native	April–June	794
South Dakota	Native	April–May	552
North Dakota	Native	April–May	392

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.
Montana: No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Montana.
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Wyoming.
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.
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IL (S1), UT (S2), WA (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 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 prairie pasqueflower in 18 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Boulder, Chaffee, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Fremont, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Mesa, Montrose, Park, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Miguel, Summit, Teller.

Montana counties with USDA records: Beaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Dawson, Fergus, Gallatin, Glacier, Golden Valley, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Madison, Meagher, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Phillips, Pondera, Powell, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux.

Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Big Horn, Campbell, Carbon, Converse, Crook, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Laramie, Park, Sheridan, Sublette, Teton, Weston.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Native; Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Anemone ludoviciana, Anemone nuttalliana, Pulsatilla hirsutissima, Pulsatilla ludoviciana.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 286 counties across 14 states; the most are in Minnesota (57), North Dakota (44), Wisconsin (33).

Other Pulsatilla on Bloomipedia (1): White pasqueflower.

More from the Ranunculaceae family (48 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lesser celandine, Rue anemone, Red columbine, Wood anemone, Western columbine, Marsh marigold, White baneberry, Round-lobed hepatica.

More Colorado flowers

Blue columbine

Aquilegia coerulea

★ CO state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–August

Rocky mountain marsh-marigold

Caltha chionophila

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: May–July

Upland larkspur

Delphinium nuttallianum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: May–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PUPAM.
iNaturalist, Pulsatilla nuttalliana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Pulsatilla nuttalliana (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
SDCL 1-6-10: South Dakota state floral emblem.
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Pulsatilla nuttalliana (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Tanner Barnharst via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.