Flower profile

Western false gromwell

Lithospermum occidentale

Western false gromwell (Lithospermum occidentale) is a flowering plant in the Boraginaceae family.

Western false gromwell is a flowering plant. It's on our flower lists for 2 states.

–states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

2,103U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Dakota, South Dakota

Quick look

It belongs to the Boraginaceae family. ^iNaturalist
NatureServe lists it as native to South Dakota and North Dakota. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 234 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #58 among the 126 flowers on our South Dakota list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 112 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #61 among the 116 flowers on our North Dakota list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (40 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
South Dakota	Native	few records (3)	234
North Dakota	Native	few records (4)	112

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: T4 See NatureServe for what T4 means. ^NatureServe
South Dakota: No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: GA (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)) 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 has no state-by-state distribution for this name, so we can't map it yet.

Names, range and relatives

Other Lithospermum on Bloomipedia (4): Narrowleaf puccoon, Hoary puccoon, Hairy puccoon, Manyflowered gromwell.

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

More South Dakota flowers

Hound's-tongue

Cynoglossum officinale

Introduced

🌼 Few flowering records in SD

Virginia waterleaf

Hydrophyllum virginianum

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in SD

Narrowleaf puccoon

Lithospermum incisum

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in SD

Sources

USDA PLANTS: no profile matched this name.
iNaturalist, Lithospermum occidentale: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Lithospermum occidentale (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Anders Hastings via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.