Flower profile
Spring ladies' tresses
Spiranthes vernalis
Spring ladies' tresses is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Mississippi it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Mississippi
Quick look
Spiranthes vernalis, commonly called the spring ladies'-tresses, is a species of orchid that is native to North America, Central America and the Bahamas.
- It belongs to the Orchidaceae 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 33 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Mississippi. NatureServe
- In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 299 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #94 among the 110 flowers on our Mississippi list. iNaturalist
Spring ladies' tresses gift ideas
Handmade spring ladies' tresses 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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Spring ladies' tresses art print
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Spring ladies' tresses greeting card
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Spring ladies' tresses mug
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Spring ladies' tresses earrings
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Spring ladies' tresses embroidery pattern
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Spring ladies' tresses sticker
When does it bloom?
In Mississippi, most flowering sightings come in April–June.
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
- Mississippi
- No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (S2), IA (S1), IL (S2), MA (S2), NE (S2), NY (S1), PA (S1), RI (S2), SD (S2). (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 spring ladies' tresses in 33 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.
Mississippi counties with USDA records: Amite, Attala, Clay, Covington, DeSoto, Forrest, Franklin, Harrison, Itawamba, Jefferson Davis, Kemper, Lafayette, Lauderdale, Leake, Lee, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Neshoba, Newton, Noxubee, Panola, Pearl River, Pike, Pontotoc, Tallahatchie, Washington, Webster, Yalobusha.
More Mississippi flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SPVE.
- iNaturalist, Spiranthes vernalis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Spiranthes vernalis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Spiranthes vernalis (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Jeff Wilson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.