Flower profile
Buckwheat tree
Cliftonia monophylla
Buckwheat tree is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Mississippi it's most often seen in bloom in February–April.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Mississippi
Quick look
Cliftonia monophylla, the buck-wheat tree, buckwheat tree or black titi, is a tree native to the southeastern United States. It is the sole species in the genus Cliftonia.
- It belongs to the Cyrillaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 6 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Mississippi. NatureServe
- In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 272 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #102 among the 110 flowers on our Mississippi list. iNaturalist
Buckwheat tree gift ideas
Handmade buckwheat tree 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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Buckwheat tree art print
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Buckwheat tree greeting card
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Buckwheat tree mug
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Buckwheat tree earrings
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Buckwheat tree embroidery pattern
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Buckwheat tree sticker
When does it bloom?
In Mississippi, most flowering sightings come in February–April.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Mississippi
- No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Mississippi.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: LA (S1), SC (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 buckwheat tree in 6 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina.
Mississippi counties with USDA records: George, Greene, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, Stone.
More Mississippi flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CLMO2.
- iNaturalist, Cliftonia monophylla: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Cliftonia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Mississippi: Mississippi Noxious Weed List (2 Miss. Code R. 1-3-01-136.01).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Cliftonia monophylla (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Lauren McLaurin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.