Bloomipedia
Yellow star grass (Hypoxis hirsuta)
Photo: Rafael Medina via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Yellow star grass

Hypoxis hirsuta

Native in the lower 48

Yellow star grass is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.

38states
5of our state lists
15,205U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alabama, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Rhode Island

Quick look

Hypoxis hirsuta, commonly known as common goldstar, common star-grass, eastern yellow stargrass, yellow star grass, or yellow star flower, is a perennial ornamental plant in the family Hypoxidaceae. Sometimes this plant is placed in the family Amaryllidaceae or the family Liliaceae. The species is native to the United States, Canada, and northeastern Mexico.

  • It belongs to the Hypoxidaceae 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 38 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Georgia, Missouri, Alabama, Connecticut and Rhode Island. NatureServe
  • In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
  • In Missouri, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early spring. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 0.8 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 921 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #99 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 691 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #100 among the 109 flowers on our Missouri list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 679 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #85 among the 111 flowers on our Alabama list. iNaturalist

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,559 records)
Bloom time in each of our 5 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
GeorgiaNativeApril–July921
MissouriNativeApril–May691
AlabamaNativeMarch–July679
ConnecticutNativeMay–August577
Rhode IslandNativeMay–July176

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
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
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Alabama
No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
Connecticut
Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. CT E/T/SC list
Rhode Island
Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. RI rare plants 2016
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S1), ME (SX), NH (S2), VT (SH). (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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

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 star grass in 38 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Baker, Bartow, Bibb, Brantley, Bulloch, Cherokee, Clarke, Clay, Cobb, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Dade, Decatur, Douglas, Echols, Elbert, Floyd, Fulton, Hall, Harris, Hart, Irwin, Johnson, Lee, Lincoln, Madison, Meriwether, Miller, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Putnam, Rabun, Stephens, Stewart, Talbot, Tift, Toombs, Turner, Upson, Walker, White, Whitfield.

Missouri counties with USDA records: Adair, Barry, Barton, Benton, Bollinger, Boone, Butler, Callaway, Camden, Cape Girardeau, Carter, Cass, Christian, Cole, Crawford, Dade, Dallas, Dent, Franklin, Grundy, Henry, Hickory, Howell, Iron, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Laclede, Lewis, Linn, Macon, Madison, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Miller, Monroe, Morgan, Newton, Ozark, Perry, Phelps, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Ralls, Randolph, Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon, Shelby, St. Clair, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Sullivan, Taney, Vernon, Washington, Webster.

Alabama counties with USDA records: Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Butler, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Dallas, DeKalb, Elmore, Fayette, Hale, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Macon, Marshall, Monroe, Randolph, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Wilcox.

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Sources