Flower profile
Scarlet pimpernel
Lysimachia arvensis
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–July.
*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–June. 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 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 6,781 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #97 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 387 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #97 among the 109 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
Scarlet pimpernel gift ideas
Handmade scarlet pimpernel 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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Scarlet pimpernel art print
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Scarlet pimpernel greeting card
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Scarlet pimpernel mug
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Scarlet pimpernel earrings
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Scarlet pimpernel embroidery pattern
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Scarlet pimpernel sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 5 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Introduced | March–June | 26,575 |
| Texas | – | March–May | 6,781 |
| Louisiana | Introduced | February–May | 387 |
| Rhode Island | Introduced | June–October | 183 |
| Delaware | Introduced | June–July | 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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?
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 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.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ANAR.
- iNaturalist, Lysimachia arvensis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Lysimachia arvensis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
- Rhode Island: 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).
- Delaware: Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list).
- Delaware: Delaware Invasive Plant List (3 Del. Admin. Code § 806-3.0).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Lysimachia arvensis (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Tristan A. McKnight via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.