Flower profile
Spiny menodora
Menodora spinescens
Spiny menodora is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Nevada it's most often seen in bloom in March–September.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Nevada
Quick look
Menodora spinescens is a species of flowering plant in the olive family known by the common name spiny menodora. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it grows in varied mountain, canyon, and desert habitat in California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona.
- It belongs to the Oleaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 4 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Nevada. NatureServe
- In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–September. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 536 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #77 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist
Spiny menodora gift ideas
Handmade spiny menodora 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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Spiny menodora art print
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Spiny menodora greeting card
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Spiny menodora mug
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Spiny menodora earrings
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Spiny menodora embroidery pattern
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Spiny menodora sticker
When does it bloom?
In Nevada, most flowering sightings come in March–September.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Nevada
- Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. NAC 527.010
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: UT (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 spiny menodora in 4 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah.
Nevada counties with USDA records: Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Mineral, Nye.
More Nevada flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile MESP2.
- iNaturalist, Menodora spinescens: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Menodora spinescens (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
- Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Menodora spinescens (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: David Batchelor via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.