Flower profile
Yellow butterwort
Pinguicula lutea
Yellow butterwort (Pinguicula lutea) is a flowering plant in the Lentibulariaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly February–April across the U.S.
Yellow butterwort is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Mississippi it's most often seen in bloom in March–April.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Mississippi
Quick look
Pinguicula lutea, commonly known as the yellow butterwort, is a species of warm-temperate carnivorous plant in the family Lentibulariaceae. It grows in savannas and sandy bog areas of the Southeastern United States.
- It belongs to the Lentibulariaceae 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 7 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Mississippi. NatureServe
- In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 331 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #84 among the 154 flowers on our Mississippi list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Mississippi, most flowering sightings come in March–April.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Mississippi
- No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Mississippi.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: LA (S2), NC (S1), SC (S2). (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?
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 yellow butterwort in 7 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina.
Mississippi counties with USDA records: Forrest, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Stone.
Names, range and relatives
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 96 counties across 7 states; the most are in Florida (53), Georgia (24), South Carolina (7).
Other Pinguicula on Bloomipedia (1): Common butterwort.
More Mississippi flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile PILU2.
- iNaturalist, Pinguicula lutea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Pinguicula lutea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Pinguicula lutea (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Lauren McLaurin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.