Bloomipedia
Snowplant (Sarcodes sanguinea)
Photo: Joey Bom via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Snowplant

Sarcodes sanguinea

Snowplant (Sarcodes sanguinea) is a flowering plant in the Ericaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–June across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Snowplant 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 May–June.

3states where USDA records it
2Bloomipedia state lists include it
15,104U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: California, Nevada

Quick look

Sarcodes is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the heath family (Ericaceae) native to northwest North America, containing the single species Sarcodes sanguinea, commonly called the snow plant or snow flower. It is a parasitic plant that derives sustenance and nutrients from mycorrhizal fungi that attach to tree roots. Lacking chlorophyll, it is unable to photosynthesize.

  • It belongs to the Ericaceae 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 3 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to California and Nevada. NatureServe
  • In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 14,229 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #52 among the 178 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 778 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #48 among the 132 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,330 records)
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
CaliforniaNativeMay–June14,229
NevadaNativefew records (49)778

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
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: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
Nevada
Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in Nevada. NAC 527.010
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.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S3 in Nevada. NatureServe

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 snowplant in 3 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California, Nevada, Oregon.

California counties with USDA records: Alpine, Butte, El Dorado, Humboldt, Kern, Lassen, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare.

Nevada counties with USDA records: Carson City, Douglas, Washoe.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 30 counties across 3 states; the most are in California (22), Oregon (5), Nevada (3).

More from the Ericaceae family (55 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ghost pipe, Rhododendrons and azaleas, Striped wintergreen, Mountain laurel, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Salal, Woodland pinedrops, Pinesap.

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Sources