Bloomipedia
Scarlet pimpernel (Lysimachia arvensis)
Photo: Tristan A. McKnight via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Scarlet pimpernel

Lysimachia arvensis

Scarlet pimpernel (Lysimachia arvensis) is a flowering plant in the Primulaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–June across the U.S.

Introduced in the lower 48

Scarlet pimpernel is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

47states where USDA records it
5Bloomipedia state lists include it
43,372U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: California, Delaware, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Texas

Quick look

Lysimachia arvensis, syn. Anagallis arvensis, commonly known as scarlet pimpernel, red pimpernel, red chickweed, poor man's barometer, poor man's weather-glass, shepherd's weather glass or shepherd's clock, is a species of low-growing annual plant with brightly coloured flowers, most often scarlet but also bright blue and sometimes pink. The native range of the species is Europe and Western Asia and North Africa.

  • It belongs to the Primulaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 47 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as not native to California, Louisiana, Rhode Island and Delaware. NatureServe
  • In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 26,575 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #12 among the 178 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 6,781 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #98 among the 169 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 387 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #101 among the 154 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (6,636 records)
Bloom time in the 5 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
CaliforniaIntroducedMarch–May26,575
Texas–March–May6,781
LouisianaIntroducedfew records (41)387
Rhode IslandIntroducedfew records (34)183
DelawareIntroducedfew records (45)140

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
State rare plant lists
Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 4 of our 5 states.
See each state
California
Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
Texas
Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe has no Texas rank for it. 31 TAC 69.8
Rhode Island
Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Rhode Island. RI rare plants 2016
Delaware
Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Delaware. DE rare plants 2024
Louisiana
No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Louisiana.
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 scarlet pimpernel in 47 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Inyo, Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mendocino, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Orange, Plumas, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Tuolumne, Ventura, Yolo.

Texas counties with USDA records: Angelina, Aransas, Austin, Bastrop, Bexar, Brazoria, Brazos, Burleson, Burnet, Calhoun, Cameron, Colorado, Dallas, Denton, Dimmit, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Grayson, Grimes, Hardin, Harris, Henderson, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Lampasas, Lavaca, Liberty, Live Oak, Madison, Mason, McLennan, Medina, Montgomery, Nueces, Polk, Refugio, Robertson, San Jacinto, Tarrant, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Uvalde, Val Verde, Victoria, Washington, Webb, Wharton, Zapata.

Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Bienville, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, Grant, Iberia, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Rapides, Sabine, St. Charles, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Union, Vernon, Winn.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Introduced; Canada: Native; Greenland: Introduced; Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced; Pacific Basin (excluding Hawaii): Introduced; Puerto Rico: Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 603 counties across 45 states; the most are in Virginia (75), Texas (52), Ohio (43).

Other Lysimachia on Bloomipedia (7): Northern starflower, Western starflower, Creeping jenny, Fringed loosestrife, Whorled loosestrife, Swamp candles, Arctic starflower.

More from the Primulaceae family (14 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Henderson's shooting star, Eastern shooting star, Coralberry, Dark-throated shooting star, Shoebutton ardisia, Parry's primrose, Kōlea lau nui.

More California flowers

Henderson's shooting star (Primula hendersonii)

Henderson's shooting star

Primula hendersonii

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: February–April
Western starflower (Lysimachia latifolia)

Western starflower

Lysimachia latifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: April–June
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica)

California poppy

Eschscholzia californica

★ CA state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in CA: March–May

Sources