Flower profile
Rush skeletonplant
Lygodesmia juncea
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.
*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 108 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 158 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #39 among the 109 flowers on our North Dakota list. iNaturalist
Rush skeletonplant gift ideas
Handmade rush skeletonplant 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.
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Rush skeletonplant art print
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Rush skeletonplant greeting card
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Rush skeletonplant mug
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Rush skeletonplant earrings
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Rush skeletonplant embroidery pattern
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Rush skeletonplant sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | Native | few records | 175 |
| North Dakota | Native | few records | 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?
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 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.
More Nebraska flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LYJU.
- iNaturalist, Lygodesmia juncea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Lygodesmia juncea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
- Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
- North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Lygodesmia juncea (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Jo Roberts via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.