Flower profile
Wild comfrey
Andersonglossum virginianum
Wild comfrey is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
Quick look
Andersonglossum virginianum, known as southern wild comfrey, is a flowering plant in the borage family native to North America. It is also sometimes called blue houndstongue.
- It belongs to the Boraginaceae 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 34 states. USDA PLANTS
- In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
- In Tennessee, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,205 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #77 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,168 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #45 among the 112 flowers on our Tennessee list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,115 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #80 among the 110 flowers on our Virginia list. iNaturalist
Wild comfrey gift ideas
Handmade wild comfrey 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.
-
Placeholder
Wild comfrey art print
-
Placeholder
Wild comfrey greeting card
-
Placeholder
Wild comfrey mug
-
Placeholder
Wild comfrey earrings
-
Placeholder
Wild comfrey embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
Wild comfrey sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 7 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | – | April–May | 2,205 |
| Tennessee | – | April–May | 2,168 |
| Virginia | – | April–May | 2,115 |
| Arkansas | – | April–May | 1,092 |
| Kentucky | – | April–May | 867 |
| Missouri | – | April–May | 695 |
| West Virginia | – | few records | 351 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe
- Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe
- North Carolina
- Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). 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). TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
- Virginia
- Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). 2VAC5-320-10
- Arkansas
- No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead.
- Kentucky
- Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). 400 KAR 3:040
- Missouri
- Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. 3 CSR 10-4.111
- West Virginia
- No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
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
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 wild comfrey in 34 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, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.
North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Anson, Ashe, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Franklin, Graham, Granville, Guilford, Haywood, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Macon, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Orange, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Wake, Warren, Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey.
Tennessee counties with USDA records: Anderson, Benton, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Cannon, Carter, Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, DeKalb, Decatur, Dickson, Dyer, Franklin, Grainger, Grundy, Hardeman, Hardin, Hawkins, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Loudon, McNairy, Montgomery, Morgan, Overton, Perry, Polk, Putnam, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sevier, Shelby, Stewart, Sumner, Tipton, Union, Van Buren, Wayne, White, Williamson, Wilson.
Virginia counties with USDA records: Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Greene, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Highland, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, Lee, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, Newport News , Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Stafford, Suffolk , Surry, Tazewell, Virginia Beach , Warren, Washington, Wise, York.
More North Carolina flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CYVI.
- iNaturalist, Andersonglossum virginianum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Andersonglossum virginianum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
- Tennessee: Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act).
- Tennessee: Tennessee Pest Plant List (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0080-06-24-.02).
- Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
- Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
- Arkansas: Arkansas State Plant Board noxious weeds and prohibited plants (2 CAR § 50-101).
- Kentucky: Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026).
- Kentucky: Kentucky noxious weeds and invasive plants on state rights-of-way (KRS 176.051; species list from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet).
- Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
- Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
- West Virginia: West Virginia noxious weeds (W. Va. Code R. § 61-14A-5) (the rule abbreviates some names (e.g. “P. cuspidatum”); we expand them to match).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Anne Parker via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.