Flower profile

Puncture vine

Tribulus terrestris

Puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris) is a flowering plant in the Zygophyllaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–October across the U.S.

Introduced in the lower 48

Puncture vine is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced 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 July–October.

40states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

9,682U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Idaho, New Mexico

🚫

Regulated invasive plant in Idaho. It's on that state' official invasive plant list (Idaho: Statewide containment noxious weed). Please don't plant or share it there. ^{IDAPA 02.06.09}

Quick look

Tribulus terrestris is an annual plant in the caltrop family (Zygophyllaceae) widely distributed around the world. It is adapted to thrive in dry climate locations in which few other plants can survive, and is a highly invasive species.
From Wikipedia's article Tribulus terrestris, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Zygophyllaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 40 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to New Mexico and Idaho. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 753 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #77 among the 152 flowers on our New Mexico list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 399 research-grade sightings of it in Idaho, ranking #101 among the 143 flowers on our Idaho list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,217 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New Mexico	Introduced	few records (49)	753
Idaho	Introduced	few records (23)	399

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
New Mexico: Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New Mexico. ^{19.21.2.9 NMAC}
Idaho: No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Idaho.
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?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “The leaves and shoots are eaten in Asia” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsCan be a problem for horses

NC State Extension flags it as a problem for horses. It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. ^{NC State Extension}

🌿 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 puncture vine in 40 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Chaves, Curry, Eddy, Guadalupe, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos.

Idaho counties with USDA records: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Bingham, Blaine, Boise, Bonneville, Butte, Camas, Canyon, Caribou, Cassia, Clearwater, Elmore, Franklin, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Jefferson, Jerome, Latah, Lemhi, Lewis, Lincoln, Madison, Minidoka, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette, Power, Twin Falls, Washington.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Waif (occasional, not established); Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced; Pacific Basin (excluding Hawaii): Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 658 counties across 38 states; the most are in Kansas (105), Texas (90), California (46).

More from the Zygophyllaceae family (2 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Creosote bush, Arizona poppy.

More New Mexico flowers

Creosote bush

Larrea tridentata

Native

🌼 Blooms in NM: April–August

Yuccas

Yucca

★ NM state flower

🌼 Blooms in NM: April–June

Soaptree yucca

Yucca elata

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NM

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile TRTE.
iNaturalist, Tribulus terrestris: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Tribulus terrestris (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Tribulus terrestris (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Jim Morefield via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.