Flower profile

Queen's crown

Rhodiola rhodantha

Queen's crown (Rhodiola rhodantha) is a flowering plant in the Crassulaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Queen's crown 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 July–August.

6states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

3,141U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Colorado, Wyoming

Quick look

Rhodiola rhodantha, common name redpod stonecrop or queen's crown, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae.
From Wikipedia's article Rhodiola rhodantha, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Crassulaceae 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 6 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado and Wyoming. ^NatureServe
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
In Wyoming, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,402 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #63 among the 160 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 426 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #65 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”) (539 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Native	July–August	2,402
Wyoming	Native	July–August	426

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.
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.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: UT (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 queen's crown in 6 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Alamosa, Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Eagle, El Paso, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel, Summit.

Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Big Horn, Carbon, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Park, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Washakie.

Names, range and relatives

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Clementsia rhodantha, Sedum rhodanthum.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 62 counties across 6 states; the most are in Colorado (30), Wyoming (12), Utah (10).

Other Rhodiola on Bloomipedia (1): Western roseroot.

More from the Crassulaceae family (8 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Woodland stonecrop, Lanceleaf stonecrop, Broad-leaved stonecrop, Chalk dudleya, Widow's-cross, Elf orpine, Orpine stonecrop.

More Colorado flowers

Lanceleaf stonecrop

Sedum lanceolatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–August

Western roseroot

Rhodiola integrifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–August

Great mullein

Verbascum thapsus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: July–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile RHRH4.
iNaturalist, Rhodiola rhodantha: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Rhodiola rhodantha (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Rhodiola rhodantha (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: sara_harder via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.