Flower profile

Swamp candles

Lysimachia terrestris

Swamp candles (Lysimachia terrestris) is a flowering plant in the Primulaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–July across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Swamp candles 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 June–July.

29states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

6,919U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Maine, New Hampshire

Quick look

Lysimachia terrestris is a plant in the family Primulaceae.
From Wikipedia's article Lysimachia terrestris, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Primulaceae 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 29 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Maine and New Hampshire. ^NatureServe
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
In New Hampshire, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,024 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #75 among the 160 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 883 research-grade sightings of it in New Hampshire, ranking #58 among the 157 flowers on our New Hampshire list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,280 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Maine	Native	June–July	1,024
New Hampshire	Native	June–July	883

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
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: GA (S1), KY (S1), MO (S1), OK (S1), SC (S1), TN (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 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 swamp candles in 29 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

New Hampshire counties with USDA records: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, Sullivan.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 490 counties across 25 states; the most are in Pennsylvania (61), Wisconsin (54), Michigan (52).

Other Lysimachia on Bloomipedia (7): Scarlet pimpernel, Northern starflower, Western starflower, Creeping jenny, Fringed loosestrife, Whorled loosestrife, Arctic starflower.

More from the Primulaceae family (14 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Henderson's shooting star, Eastern shooting star, Coralberry, Dark-throated shooting star, Shoebutton ardisia, Parry's primrose, Kōlea lau nui.

More Maine flowers

Northern starflower

Lysimachia borealis

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: May–June

Whorled loosestrife

Lysimachia quadrifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: June–July

Roses (genus Rosa)

Rosa

★ NY state flower🌷 Garden flower

🌼 Blooms in ME: June–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LYTE2.
iNaturalist, Lysimachia terrestris: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Lysimachia terrestris (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Lysimachia terrestris (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Lynn Harper via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.