Bloomipedia
Summer bluet (Houstonia purpurea)
Photo: Michael J. Papay via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Summer bluet

Houstonia purpurea

Native in the lower 48

Summer bluet 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 April–June.

30states
2of our state lists
8,392U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Carolina, Tennessee

Quick look

Houstonia purpurea is a species of flowering plant in the coffee family known by the common names Venus's pride, woodland bluet, and purple bluet. It is native to the eastern United States from eastern Texas and Oklahoma east to Florida and Pennsylvania, with scattered populations in Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan, New York State and New England.

  • It belongs to the Rubiaceae 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 30 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to North Carolina and Tennessee. NatureServe
  • In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
  • In Tennessee, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,423 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #66 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,444 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #74 among the 112 flowers on our Tennessee list. iNaturalist

Summer bluet gift ideas

Handmade summer bluet 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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    Summer bluet art print

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    Summer bluet greeting card

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    Summer bluet mug

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    Summer bluet earrings

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    Summer bluet embroidery pattern

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    Summer bluet sticker

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,165 records)
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
North CarolinaNativeMay–July2,423
TennesseeNativeApril–June1,444

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
North Carolina
Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
Tennessee
Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (S2), PA (S1), TX (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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 summer bluet in 30 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, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Anson, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Caswell, Chatham, Cherokee, Clay, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Johnston, Lee, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, Northampton, Orange, Person, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey.

Tennessee counties with USDA records: Anderson, Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, DeKalb, Decatur, Dickson, Fayette, Fentress, Franklin, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardeman, Hardin, Hawkins, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Knox, Lewis, Loudon, Macon, Marion, Marshall, Maury, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Monroe, Montgomery, Moore, Morgan, Overton, Perry, Pickett, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Smith, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Wayne, White, Williamson, Wilson.

More North Carolina flowers

Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens)

Partridgeberry

Mitchella repens

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Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

Buttonbush

Cephalanthus occidentalis

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🌼 Blooms in NC: June–September
Azure bluet (Houstonia caerulea)

Azure bluet

Houstonia caerulea

Native

🌼 Blooms in NC: March–May

Sources