Flower profile

Whorled loosestrife

Lysimachia quadrifolia

Native in the lower 48

Whorled loosestrife is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

25states

4of our state lists

13,641U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island

Quick look

Lysimachia quadrifolia, the whorled loosestrife, whorled yellow loosestrife, or crosswort, is a species of herbaceous plant in the family Primulaceae. It native to the eastern United States and Canada.
From Wikipedia's article Lysimachia quadrifolia, 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 25 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island. ^NatureServe
In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,329 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #58 among the 110 flowers on our Massachusetts list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,012 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #78 among the 110 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 702 research-grade sightings of it in Connecticut, ranking #68 among the 111 flowers on our Connecticut list. ^iNaturalist

Whorled loosestrife gift ideas

Handmade whorled loosestrife 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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Whorled loosestrife art print
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Whorled loosestrife greeting card
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Whorled loosestrife mug
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Whorled loosestrife earrings
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Whorled loosestrife embroidery pattern
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Whorled loosestrife sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,093 records)

Bloom time in each of our 4 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Massachusetts	Native	June–July	2,329
Maine	Native	June–July	1,012
Connecticut	Native	June–July	702
Rhode Island	Native	June–July	336

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
Massachusetts: Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. ^{MESA list}
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}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

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 whorled loosestrife in 25 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

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

Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Worcester.

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

More Massachusetts flowers

Scarlet pimpernel

Lysimachia arvensis

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: March–July

Northern starflower

Lysimachia borealis

Native

🌼 Blooms in MA: May

Fringed loosestrife

Lysimachia ciliata

Native

🌼 Blooms: June–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LYQU2.
iNaturalist, Lysimachia quadrifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Lysimachia quadrifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
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).
Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Lysimachia quadrifolia (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Lynn Harper via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.