Flower profile

Prickly saxifrage

Saxifraga tricuspidata

Prickly saxifrage (Saxifraga tricuspidata) is a flowering plant in the Saxifragaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Native to Alaska

Prickly saxifrage is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

2states where USDA records it

782AK sightings*

827U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alaska

Quick look

It belongs to the Saxifragaceae 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 2 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Alaska. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 782 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #55 among the 121 flowers on our Alaska list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Alaska (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (48 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: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Alaska: No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MI (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?

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 prickly saxifrage in 2 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Michigan.

Alaska counties with USDA records: Anchorage, Bethel, Chugach, Copper River, Denali, Fairbanks North Star, Haines, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Southeast Fairbanks, Yakutat, Yukon-Koyukuk.

Names, range and relatives

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

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Leptasea tricuspidata.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 16 counties across 2 states; the most are in Alaska (15), Michigan (1).

Other Saxifraga on Bloomipedia (1): Purple saxifrage.

More from the Saxifragaceae family (12 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Fringe cups, Virginia saxifrage, Creeping foamflower, Threeleaf foamflower, Twoleaf miterwort, Youth-on-age, Cliff saxifrage, Bulbous woodland star.

More Alaska flowers

Threeleaf foamflower

Tiarella trifoliata

Native

🌼 Blooms in AK: June–August

Purple saxifrage

Saxifraga oppositifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in AK: May–June

Richardson's brookfoam

Boykinia richardsonii

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in AK

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SATR5.
iNaturalist, Saxifraga tricuspidata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Alaska: Alaska prohibited and restricted noxious weeds (11 AAC 34.020).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Saxifraga tricuspidata (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Eric Knight via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.