Bloomipedia
Silvery scurfpea (Pediomelum argophyllum)
Photo: Katharine Hogan, PhD via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized

Flower profile

Silvery scurfpea

Pediomelum argophyllum

Silvery scurfpea (Pediomelum argophyllum) is a flowering plant in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

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.

15states where USDA records it
3Bloomipedia state lists include it
1,845U.S. sightings*

*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
  • iNaturalist has 421 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #27 among the 126 flowers on our South Dakota list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 335 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #13 among the 116 flowers on our North Dakota list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 173 research-grade sightings of it in Nebraska, ranking #95 among the 147 flowers on our Nebraska list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (256 records)
Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
South DakotaNativefew records (6)421
North DakotaNativefew records (35)335
NebraskaNativefew records (8)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?

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 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.

Names, range and relatives

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

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Psoralea argophylla, Psoralidium argophyllum, Psoralea collina.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 372 counties across 15 states; the most are in Nebraska (68), Kansas (63), South Dakota (54).

Other Pediomelum on Bloomipedia (2): Slimflower scurfpea, Breadroot scurf pea.

More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.

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Sources