Bloomipedia
Virginia stickseed (Hackelia virginiana)
Photo: Bonnie Semmling via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Virginia stickseed

Hackelia virginiana

Virginia stickseed (Hackelia virginiana) is a flowering plant in the Boraginaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–August across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Virginia stickseed is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–August.

36states where USDA records it
3Bloomipedia state lists include it
14,407U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Iowa, New Jersey, Pennsylvania

Quick look

Hackelia virginiana, a biennial plant, is commonly known as beggar's lice, sticktight or stickseed. However, the common names beggar's lice and stick-tight are also used for very different plants, such as Desmodium species that are also known as "tick-trefoil".

  • It belongs to the Boraginaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a biennial, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 36 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Iowa. NatureServe
  • In Pennsylvania, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,451 research-grade sightings of it in Pennsylvania, ranking #87 among the 190 flowers on our Pennsylvania list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,055 research-grade sightings of it in New Jersey, ranking #89 among the 186 flowers on our New Jersey list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 317 research-grade sightings of it in Iowa, ranking #81 among the 147 flowers on our Iowa list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (451 records)
Bloom time in the 3 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
PennsylvaniaNativeJuly–August2,451
New JerseyNativefew records (36)1,055
IowaNativefew records (12)317

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
Pennsylvania
Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: S5, secure in Pennsylvania. 17 Pa. Code Ch. 45
New Jersey
Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in New Jersey. N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S5, secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MS (S2), NC (S2), NH (S2), SC (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 Virginia stickseed in 36 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, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Pennsylvania counties with USDA records: Adams, Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Butler, Cameron, Centre, Chester, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lancaster, Lawrence, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Venango, Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, York.

New Jersey counties with USDA records: Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, Warren.

Iowa counties with USDA records: Carroll, Cherokee, Dickinson, Fremont, Guthrie, Monona, Page, Plymouth, Pottawattamie, Story, Union, Webster, Woodbury.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Lappula virginiana, Myosotis virginiana.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 835 counties across 34 states; the most are in Missouri (81), Illinois (79), Indiana (76).

More from the Boraginaceae family (42 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Virginia bluebells, Virginia waterleaf, Pacific hound's tongue, Distant phacelia, Alkali heliotrope, Wild comfrey, Menzies' baby blue eyes, California yerba santa.

More Pennsylvania flowers

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

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Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Garlic mustard

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White snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)

White snakeroot

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🌼 Blooms in PA: August–October

Sources