Flower profile

Yellow owl's-clover

Orthocarpus luteus

Yellow owl's-clover (Orthocarpus luteus) is a flowering plant in the Orobanchaceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

Native to North Dakota

Yellow owl's-clover is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

15states where USDA records it

74ND sightings*

929U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Dakota

Quick look

Orthocarpus luteus is a species of flowering plant in the broomrape family known by the common name yellow owl's-clover. It is native to much of western and central North America, where it grows in many types of plateau, grassland, and mountain habitat.
From Wikipedia's article Orthocarpus luteus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Orobanchaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 15 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to North Dakota. ^NatureServe
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1.5 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 74 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #88 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”) (48 records)

There are only a handful of North Dakota flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

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 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: MN (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), USDA PLANTS) 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 records yellow owl's-clover in 15 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Adams, Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burke, Cavalier, Divide, Dunn, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Rolette, Sheridan, Slope, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Walsh, Ward, Williams.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Yellow owl's-clover a high shade tolerance, high drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 6.0 to 8.5 and winter lows down to 52 °F.

Shade tolerance: High
Drought tolerance: High
Moisture use: Low
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 6.0 to 8.5
Minimum temperature tolerated: 52 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 130
Annual precipitation range: 10 to 24 inches
Minimum root depth: 10 inches
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Rapid
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Brown · Summer to Summer
Can be propagated by: seed
Commercial availability: No Known Source

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for ORLU2. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 227 counties across 15 states; the most are in North Dakota (39), Colorado (33), Montana (22).

More from the Orobanchaceae family (24 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Texas paintbrush, Canadian lousewort, Purple owl's-clover, Warrior's plume, Felt paintbrush, Elephant's-Head lousewort, Giant red paintbrush, Narrowleaf cow wheat.

More North Dakota flowers

Downy painted-cup

Castilleja sessiliflora

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🌼 Few flowering records in ND

Plains pricklypear

Opuntia polyacantha

Native

🌼 Blooms in ND: June–July

Upright prairie coneflower

Ratibida columnifera

Native

🌼 Blooms in ND: June–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ORLU2.
iNaturalist, Orthocarpus luteus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Orthocarpus luteus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
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, Orthocarpus luteus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Esben Kjaer via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.