Bloomipedia
Richardson's brookfoam (Boykinia richardsonii)
Photo: Alexandria 'Alex' Wenninger via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Richardson's brookfoam

Boykinia richardsonii

Richardson's brookfoam (Boykinia richardsonii) is a flowering plant in the Saxifragaceae family.

Native to Alaska

Richardson's brookfoam is a wildflower.

1states where USDA records it
447AK sightings*
447U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alaska

Quick look

Boykinia richardsonii is a species of flowering plant in the family Saxifragaceae, endemic to Alaska and the adjacent Canadian territory of Yukon. It is commonly known as Richardson's brookfoam, but has also been called Alaska boykin, bearflower, Richardson's boykin and Richardson's saxifrage. "Bearflower" reflects its popularity with grizzly bears as forage in the summer months when it flowers.

  • It belongs to the Saxifragaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Alaska. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 447 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #99 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”) (32 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
G4 Apparently 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: S4, apparently secure in Alaska.
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 richardson's brookfoam in 1 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska.

Alaska counties with USDA records: Bethel, Chugach, Copper River, Denali, Kenai Peninsula, Lake and Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, Nome, North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Southeast Fairbanks, Yukon-Koyukuk.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Native; Canada: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Saxifraga richardsonii, Therofon richardsonii.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 12 counties across 1 states; the most are in Alaska (12).

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)

Threeleaf foamflower

Tiarella trifoliata

Native

🌼 Blooms in AK: June–August
Prickly saxifrage (Saxifraga tricuspidata)

Prickly saxifrage

Saxifraga tricuspidata

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in AK
Purple saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia)

Purple saxifrage

Saxifraga oppositifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in AK: May–June

Sources