Flower profile
Silvery scurfpea
Pediomelum argophyllum
Silvery scurfpea is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota
Quick look
Pediomelum argophyllum, synonym Psoralea argophylla, is a species of legume in the family Fabaceae. The species is native to the central United States, as well as the three Canadian prairie provinces, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Pediomelum argophyllum grows naturally as a forb, and it grows perennially.
- It belongs to the Fabaceae 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 15 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska. NatureServe
- In North Dakota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 421 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #27 among the 108 flowers on our South Dakota list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 335 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #13 among the 109 flowers on our North Dakota list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 173 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #95 among the 108 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist
Silvery scurfpea gift ideas
Handmade silvery scurfpea 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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Silvery scurfpea art print
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Silvery scurfpea greeting card
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Silvery scurfpea mug
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Silvery scurfpea earrings
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Silvery scurfpea embroidery pattern
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Silvery scurfpea sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | Native | few records | 421 |
| North Dakota | Native | June–August | 335 |
| Nebraska | Native | few records | 173 |
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
- South Dakota
- No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
- 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.
- 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
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MO (S2), WI (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 silvery scurfpea in 15 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
South Dakota counties with USDA records: Aurora, Bennett, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Butte, Campbell, Charles Mix, Clark, Clay, Codington, Corson, Custer, Day, Deuel, Dewey, Douglas, Edmunds, Fall River, Faulk, Gregory, Haakon, Hamlin, Hand, Harding, Hughes, Hutchinson, Hyde, Jackson, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lawrence, Lincoln, Lyman, Marshall, McPherson, Meade, Mellette, Miner, Pennington, Perkins, Potter, Roberts, Sanborn, Spink, Stanley, Sully, Todd, Tripp, Union, Walworth, Ziebach.
North Dakota counties with USDA records: Adams, Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Foster, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Walsh, Ward, Wells, Williams.
Nebraska counties with USDA records: Adams, Banner, Blaine, Boone, Box Butte, Brown, Buffalo, Butler, Cass, Cedar, Chase, Cherry, Cheyenne, Cuming, Custer, Dawes, Dawson, Deuel, Dodge, Douglas, Dundy, Fillmore, Franklin, Frontier, Furnas, Gage, Garden, Gosper, Grant, Hall, Hamilton, Harlan, Hayes, Hitchcock, Howard, Jefferson, Kearney, Keith, Keya Paha, Kimball, Knox, Lancaster, Lincoln, Logan, McPherson, Merrick, Morrill, Nuckolls, Otoe, Perkins, Phelps, Pierce, Platte, Red Willow, Richardson, Saline, Sarpy, Saunders, Scotts Bluff, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Sioux, Thayer, Thomas, Valley, Washington, Webster.
More South Dakota flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PEAR6.
- iNaturalist, Pediomelum argophyllum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Pediomelum argophyllum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
- North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
- 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).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Pediomelum argophyllum (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Katharine Hogan, PhD via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.