Flower profile
Blue pigroot
Sisyrinchium micranthum
Blue pigroot 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 March–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina
Quick look
Sisyrinchium micranthum, commonly known as annual blue-eyed grass, blue pigroot, fairy stars, and striped rush-leaf, is a wildflower. It is a grass-like species in the iris family, Iridaceae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, and South America and widely naturalized elsewhere. The flowers are between 10 and 20 mm in diameter.
- It belongs to the Iridaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual, perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 11 states. USDA PLANTS
- In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
- In Louisiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,229 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #70 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 874 research-grade sightings of it in Louisiana, ranking #34 among the 109 flowers on our Louisiana list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 619 research-grade sightings of it in Alabama, ranking #100 among the 111 flowers on our Alabama list. iNaturalist
Blue pigroot gift ideas
Handmade blue pigroot 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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Blue pigroot art print
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Blue pigroot greeting card
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Blue pigroot mug
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Blue pigroot earrings
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Blue pigroot embroidery pattern
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Blue pigroot sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 5 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | – | April–June | 1,229 |
| Louisiana | – | March–May | 874 |
| Alabama | – | March–May | 619 |
| South Carolina | – | April–June | 589 |
| Mississippi | – | March–June | 407 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe
- Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe
- Georgia
- Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09
- Louisiana
- No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks.
- Alabama
- No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead.
- South Carolina
- No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead.
- Mississippi
- No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead.
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 page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
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 blue pigroot in 11 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia.
Georgia counties with USDA records: Baldwin, Ben Hill, Bulloch, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, DeKalb, Echols, Glynn, Grady, Liberty, Long, Lowndes, McIntosh, Stephens.
Louisiana counties with USDA records: Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Franklin, Grant, Iberia, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Lafayette, Lafourche, Lincoln, Livingston, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Tensas, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, Washington, Webster, West Carroll, West Feliciana, Winn.
Alabama counties with USDA records: Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Covington, Escambia, Geneva, Lee, Mobile.
More Georgia flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SIRO5.
- iNaturalist, Sisyrinchium micranthum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Sisyrinchium micranthum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
- Alabama: Alabama noxious weeds (Ala. Admin. Code r. 80-10-14-.04).
- South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
- Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Celeste Ray via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.