Flower profile

Red tasselflower

Emilia fosbergii

Red tasselflower (Emilia fosbergii) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly January–December across the U.S.

Introduced in the lower 48

Red tasselflower 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 January–December.

6states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

5,720U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Florida, Hawaii

Quick look

Emilia fosbergii is a species of plant in the sunflower family. It is commonly known in the United States as Florida tasselflower.
From Wikipedia's article Emilia fosbergii, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to Hawaii. ^NatureServe
In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. ^iNaturalist
In Hawaii, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–March. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 4,326 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #56 among the 151 flowers on our Florida list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,123 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #39 among the 118 flowers on our Hawaii list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (421 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Florida	–	January–December	4,326
Hawaii	Introduced	January–March	1,123

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
Florida: Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe has no Florida rank for it. ^{FAC 5B-40.0055}
Hawaii: Not listed Not on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Hawaii. ^{HAR 13-107}
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 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 red tasselflower in 6 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Texas.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Leon, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie, Volusia.

Hawaii counties with USDA records: Hawaii, Honolulu, Kauai, Maui.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced; Navassa Island: Introduced; Puerto Rico: Introduced; U.S. Virgin Islands: Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 39 counties across 6 states; the most are in Florida (28), Hawaii (4), Louisiana (3).

Other Emilia on Bloomipedia (1): Lilac tasselflower.

More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.

More Florida flowers

White beggarticks

Bidens alba

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: January–March

Trailing daisy

Sphagneticola trilobata

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in FL: June–November

Bristle thistle

Cirsium horridulum

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: March–April

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile EMFO.
iNaturalist, Emilia fosbergii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Emilia fosbergii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
Hawaii: Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
Hawaii: Hawaii noxious weed list (HAR 4-68).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Emilia fosbergii (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Josiah Londerée via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.