Bloomipedia
Rush skeletonplant (Lygodesmia juncea)
Photo: Jo Roberts via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Rush skeletonplant

Lygodesmia juncea

Rush skeletonplant (Lygodesmia juncea) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–September across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Rush skeletonplant 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 June–September.

22states where USDA records it
2Bloomipedia state lists include it
1,177U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Nebraska, North Dakota

Quick look

Lygodesmia juncea, the rush skeletonplant or just skeletonweed, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the western and central United States and western Canada. Widespread and considered somewhat weedy, it is adapted to blowing or otherwise disturbed soils, but not to fire. It is a perennial herb. Petals are pink or violet in color and flowers bloom June to September.

  • It belongs to the Asteraceae 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 22 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Nebraska and North Dakota. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 175 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #94 among the 147 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 158 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #39 among the 116 flowers on our North Dakota list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (146 records)
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
NebraskaNativefew records (8)175
North DakotaNativefew records (14)158

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
Nebraska
Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Nebraska. 163 NAC 4-004
North Dakota
No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NV (S2), UT (S1). (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 rush skeletonplant in 22 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Nebraska counties with USDA records: Arthur, Banner, Blaine, Box Butte, Brown, Buffalo, Cass, Chase, Cherry, Cheyenne, Cuming, Custer, Dawes, Dawson, Dundy, Franklin, Furnas, Garden, Garfield, Gosper, Grant, Hall, Harlan, Hitchcock, Holt, Hooker, Howard, Kearney, Keya Paha, Kimball, Knox, Lancaster, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Morrill, Perkins, Phelps, Red Willow, Richardson, Sarpy, Scotts Bluff, Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Thomas, Valley, Webster, Wheeler.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Cavalier, Divide, Dunn, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Kidder, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Walsh, Ward, Williams.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 364 counties across 18 states; the most are in Kansas (58), Nebraska (49), North Dakota (42).

Other Lygodesmia on Bloomipedia (2): Texas skeleton plant, Rose rush.

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 Nebraska flowers

Upright prairie coneflower (Ratibida columnifera)

Upright prairie coneflower

Ratibida columnifera

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NE
Yellow salsify (Tragopogon dubius)

Yellow salsify

Tragopogon dubius

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in NE: May–July
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta

★ MD state flowerNative

🌼 Few flowering records in NE

Sources