Flower profile

Yellow salsify

Tragopogon dubius

Introduced in the lower 48

Yellow salsify is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 10 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

45states

10of our state lists

20,414U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming

Quick look

Tragopogon dubius, commonly known as yellow salsify, is a species of salsify with yellow flower heads. It is native to Eurasia and has been introduced to North America.
From Wikipedia's article Tragopogon dubius, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, biennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 45 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
In Montana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–August. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 3,057 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #46 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,311 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #17 among the 109 flowers on our Montana list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,114 research-grade sightings of it in Idaho, ranking #16 among the 109 flowers on our Idaho list. ^iNaturalist

Yellow salsify gift ideas

Handmade yellow salsify 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

Yellow salsify art print
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Yellow salsify greeting card
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Yellow salsify mug
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Yellow salsify earrings
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Yellow salsify embroidery pattern
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Yellow salsify sticker
Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,938 records)

Bloom time in each of our 10 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Introduced	May–July	3,057
Montana	Introduced	May–August	1,311
Idaho	Introduced	May–September	1,114
Utah	Introduced	April–October	989
New Mexico	Introduced	May–July	665
Wyoming	Introduced	June–September	632
South Dakota	Introduced	May–July	506
Kansas	Introduced	May–July	454
Nebraska	Introduced	May–July	433
North Dakota	Introduced	June–October	281

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
Colorado: No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Colorado.
Montana: No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Montana.
Idaho: No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Idaho.
Utah: No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Utah.
New Mexico: Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in New Mexico. ^{19.21.2.9 NMAC}
Wyoming: No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Wyoming.
South Dakota: No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in South Dakota.
Kansas: No list Kansas's endangered and threatened list (K.A.R. 115-15-1) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's Kansas ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Kansas.
Nebraska: Not listed Not on Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Nebraska. ^{163 NAC 4-004}
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: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in North Dakota.
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 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 salsify in 45 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming; District of Columbia.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Archuleta, Baca, Bent, Boulder, Cheyenne, Custer, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, La Plata, Larimer, Las Animas, Logan, Mesa, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Otero, Park, Phillips, Pitkin, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Routt, San Miguel, Summit, Teller, Washington, Weld, Yuma.

Montana counties with USDA records: Beaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Lincoln, Madison, McCone, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Pondera, Powder River, Powell, Prairie, Ravalli, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sanders, Sheridan, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Toole, Treasure, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux, Yellowstone.

Idaho counties with USDA records: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Benewah, Blaine, Boise, Bonner, Bonneville, Butte, Canyon, Caribou, Cassia, Clark, Custer, Elmore, Franklin, Fremont, Gem, Idaho, Jefferson, Latah, Lewis, Lincoln, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette, Twin Falls, Valley, Washington.

More Colorado flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–September

White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

Native

🌼 Blooms: August–October

Sunflowers

Helianthus

★ KS state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms: June–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile TRDU.
iNaturalist, Tragopogon dubius: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Tragopogon dubius (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
Montana: Montana noxious weed list (Admin. R. Mont. 4.5.206–4.5.210).
Idaho: Idaho noxious weeds (IDAPA 02.06.09, Section 220).
Utah: Utah noxious weed list (Utah Admin. Code R68-9-3).
New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
Kansas: Kansas noxious weeds (K.A.R. 4-8-44, as amended 2026).
Nebraska: Nebraska threatened and endangered species (163 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 4, § 004).
Nebraska: Nebraska noxious weeds (25 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 10, § 001.02).
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, Tragopogon dubius (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Rose Zappa via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.