Bloomipedia
Prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa)
Photo: Lauren McLaurin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Prairie phlox

Phlox pilosa

Prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa) is a flowering plant in the Polemoniaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–June across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Prairie phlox 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–June.

32states where USDA records it
2Bloomipedia state lists include it
9,926U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Arkansas, Mississippi

Quick look

Phlox pilosa, the downy phlox or prairie phlox, is an herbaceous plant in the family Polemoniaceae. It is native to eastern North America, where it is found in open areas such as prairies and woodlands.

  • It belongs to the Polemoniaceae 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 32 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Arkansas and Mississippi. NatureServe
  • In Arkansas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,168 research-grade sightings of it in Arkansas, ranking #24 among the 170 flowers on our Arkansas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 311 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #94 among the 154 flowers on our Mississippi list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,324 records)
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
ArkansasNativeApril–May1,168
MississippiNativeMarch–May311

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
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.
Mississippi
No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DC (SX), DE (SX), MD (S1), ND (S1), NY (SH), PA (S1), VA (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. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Phlox subulata (“Moss Phlox”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ASPCA

🌿 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 phlox in 32 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

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

Arkansas counties with USDA records: Arkansas, Ashley, Baxter, Benton, Boone, Bradley, Calhoun, Carroll, Clark, Cleburne, Conway, Crawford, Cross, Dallas, Drew, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Jefferson, Johnson, Lafayette, Lincoln, Little River, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Marion, Miller, Monroe, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton, Ouachita, Perry, Poinsett, Polk, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Saline, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Sevier, Stone, Union, Van Buren, Washington, Woodruff, Yell.

Mississippi counties with USDA records: Amite, Benton, Chickasaw, Clarke, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Kemper, Lafayette, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lee, Marshall, Neshoba, Noxubee, Pearl River, Perry, Scott, Smith, Stone, Tishomingo, Wayne, Winston.

Names, range and relatives

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

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 890 counties across 31 states; the most are in Missouri (94), Illinois (84), Texas (72).

Other Phlox on Bloomipedia (7): Blue phlox, Fall phlox, Longleaf phlox, Spiny phlox, Mountain phlox, Santa Fe phlox, Flowery phlox.

More from the Polemoniaceae family (14 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Scarlet gilia, Jacob's ladder, Grand collomia, Narrow-leaf mountain trumpet, Sky pilot, Flaxflowered ipomopsis, Tall jacob's-ladder.

More Arkansas flowers

Virginia springbeauty (Claytonia virginica)

Virginia springbeauty

Claytonia virginica

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🌼 Blooms in AR: March–April
American pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

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🌼 Blooms in AR: June–September
Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum)

Mayapple

Podophyllum peltatum

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🌼 Blooms in AR: March–April

Sources