Flower profile
Prairie sunflower
Helianthus petiolaris
Prairie sunflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Nebraska
Quick look
Helianthus petiolaris is a North American plant species in the family Asteraceae, commonly known as the prairie sunflower or lesser sunflower. Naturalist and botanist Thomas Nuttall was the first to describe the prairie sunflower in 1821. The word petiolaris in Latin means “having a petiole”. The species originated in Western United States, but has since expanded east.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 40 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Nebraska. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 280 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #48 among the 108 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist
Prairie sunflower gift ideas
Handmade prairie sunflower 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 sunflower art print
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Prairie sunflower greeting card
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Prairie sunflower mug
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Prairie sunflower earrings
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Prairie sunflower embroidery pattern
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Prairie sunflower sticker
When does it bloom?
There are only a handful of Nebraska flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.
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
- Nebraska
- Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
- 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?
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. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Helianthus angustifolius (“Sunflower”), 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 sunflower in 40 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Nebraska counties with USDA records: Antelope, Arthur, Banner, Blaine, Box Butte, Boyd, Brown, Cass, Chase, Cherry, Cheyenne, Cuming, Custer, Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dodge, Douglas, Dundy, Garden, Garfield, Gosper, Grant, Holt, Hooker, Kearney, Keith, Keya Paha, Lancaster, Lincoln, Logan, Loup, McPherson, Morrill, Platte, Rock, Saunders, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sioux, Thomas, Valley, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler.
More Nebraska flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HEPE.
- iNaturalist, Helianthus petiolaris: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Helianthus petiolaris (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
- Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Helianthus petiolaris (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: W. Terry Hunefeld via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.