Flower profile
Ross' avens
Geum rossii
Ross' avens is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Colorado it's most often seen in bloom in June–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Colorado
Quick look
Geum rossii is a species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common names Ross' avens and alpine avens. It is native to North America where its distribution spans northern Canada and the high mountains of the western United States. It grows at high-latitude and high-elevation habitat, including the Arctic and in alpine climates. There are three varieties. One, var.
- It belongs to the Rosaceae 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 11 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado. NatureServe
- In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,717 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #54 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. iNaturalist
Ross' avens gift ideas
Handmade ross' avens gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
-
Placeholder
Ross' avens art print
-
Placeholder
Ross' avens greeting card
-
Placeholder
Ross' avens mug
-
Placeholder
Ross' avens earrings
-
Placeholder
Ross' avens embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
Ross' avens sticker
When does it bloom?
In Colorado, most flowering sightings come in June–September.
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.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: ID (S1), OR (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?
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.
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 ross' avens in 11 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.
Colorado counties with USDA records: Alamosa, Boulder, Chaffee, Clear Creek, Dolores, Eagle, El Paso, Garfield, Gilpin, Gunnison, Jackson, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Ouray, Park, Pitkin, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel, Summit.
More Colorado flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile GERO2.
- iNaturalist, Geum rossii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Geum rossii (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).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Geum rossii (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Dawn Nelson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.