Flower profile
Stiff greenthread
Thelesperma filifolium
Stiff greenthread (Thelesperma filifolium) is a flowering plant in the Asteraceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–June across the U.S.
Stiff greenthread is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Texas it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Texas
Quick look
Thelesperma filifolium, commonly known as stiff greenthread, or plains greenthread, is a species of flowering plant in the aster family, Asteraceae. It is often found growing in shallow soils. It prefers disturbed sites in dry, sandy or gravelly soil with a neutral to basic pH. Stiff greenthread adapts to various soil conditions, including loam, clay, caliche, and roadsides.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 11 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Texas. NatureServe
- In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 13,350 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #37 among the 169 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Texas, most flowering sightings come in April–May.
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
- Texas
- Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AL (S1), LA (S1), MO (S2), MS (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 stiff greenthread in 11 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming.
Texas counties with USDA records: Anderson, Andrews, Aransas, Archer, Armstrong, Atascosa, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Borden, Bosque, Brazoria, Brazos, Brewster, Briscoe, Brooks, Brown, Burnet, Calhoun, Callahan, Cass, Castro, Childress, Clay, Coleman, Collin, Comanche, Concho, Coryell, Crockett, Crosby, Dallam, Dallas, Dawson, Denton, Dickens, Eastland, Edwards, Erath, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Garza, Gillespie, Gonzales, Grayson, Grimes, Hall, Hamilton, Hansford, Hartley, Hays, Hill, Hockley, Howard, Hudspeth, Hutchinson, Jack, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Johnson, Jones, Karnes, Kenedy, Kent, Kerr, Kimble, King, Kinney, Kleberg, La Salle, Lamar, Lamb, Lampasas, Lavaca, Limestone, Llano, Lubbock, Martin, Mason, Maverick, McCulloch, McLennan, Medina, Menard, Milam, Mills, Mitchell, Montague, Moore, Motley, Nolan, Oldham, Palo Pinto, Parker, Parmer, Potter, Presidio, Randall, Red River, Robertson, Runnels, San Augustine, Schleicher, Scurry, Shackelford, Sherman, Stonewall, Sutton, Tarrant, Taylor, Throckmorton, Tom Green, Travis, Uvalde, Val Verde, Walker, Washington, Webb, Wichita, Wilbarger, Williamson, Wilson, Wise, Young.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 250 counties across 11 states; the most are in Texas (128), Oklahoma (38), Nebraska (19).
Other Thelesperma on Bloomipedia (1): Rayless greenthread.
More from the Asteraceae family (212 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common yarrow, Goldenrods, White snakeroot, Sunflowers, Chicory, Black-eyed Susan, Bull thistle, Common dandelion.
More Texas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile THFI.
- iNaturalist, Thelesperma filifolium: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Thelesperma filifolium (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Thelesperma filifolium (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.