Flower profile
Yellow crownbeard
Verbesina occidentalis
Yellow crownbeard 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 August–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia
Quick look
Verbesina occidentalis, commonly called yellow crownbeard and stick weed, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. V. occidentalis is often considered a weedy plant of disturbed areas, due to its presence in managed agricultural areas such as hayfields.
- It belongs to the Asteraceae 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 19 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina. NatureServe
- In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in August–October. iNaturalist
- In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,935 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #54 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,772 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #61 among the 110 flowers on our Virginia list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,038 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #88 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist
Yellow crownbeard gift ideas
Handmade yellow crownbeard 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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Yellow crownbeard art print
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Yellow crownbeard greeting card
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Yellow crownbeard mug
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Yellow crownbeard earrings
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Yellow crownbeard embroidery pattern
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Yellow crownbeard sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 4 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | Native | August–October | 2,935 |
| Virginia | Native | July–October | 2,772 |
| Georgia | Native | September–October | 1,038 |
| South Carolina | Native | August–November | 660 |
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
- North Carolina
- Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. 02 NCAC 48F .0301
- Virginia
- Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. 2VAC5-320-10
- Georgia
- Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
- South Carolina
- No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: FL (S2), IN (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?
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 crownbeard in 19 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.
North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Anson, Avery, Bertie, Bladen, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Chowan, Cleveland, Dare, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Gaston, Gates, Granville, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Lee, Martin, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Montgomery, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Person, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Transylvania, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin.
Virginia counties with USDA records: Accomack, Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Augusta, Bedford, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesapeake , Chesterfield, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Essex, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Greensville, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Isle of Wight, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Lee, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Mathews, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, New Kent, Newport News , Northampton, Northumberland, Nottoway, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Southampton, Stafford, Suffolk , Surry, Sussex, Virginia Beach , Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise, Wythe, York.
Georgia counties with USDA records: Bartow, Chatham, Cherokee, Clarke, Columbia, Dougherty, Elbert, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Harris, Lincoln, McIntosh, Murray, Seminole, Stephens, Walker.
More North Carolina flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VEOC.
- iNaturalist, Verbesina occidentalis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Verbesina occidentalis (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).
- Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
- Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
- Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Verbesina occidentalis (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: adam busey via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.