Flower profile
Checkered rattlesnake plantain
Goodyera tesselata
Checkered rattlesnake plantain is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Massachusetts it's most often seen in bloom in July–August.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Massachusetts
Quick look
Goodyera tesselata is a plant in the orchid family (Orchidaceae), called by the common name checkered rattlesnake plantain. It is native to eastern Canada from Manitoba to Newfoundland, and to the northeastern United States from Maine to Maryland, west to Minnesota.
- It belongs to the Orchidaceae 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 14 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Massachusetts. NatureServe
- In Massachusetts, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–August. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,641 research-grade sightings of it in Massachusetts, ranking #89 among the 110 flowers on our Massachusetts list. iNaturalist
Checkered rattlesnake plantain gift ideas
Handmade checkered rattlesnake plantain 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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Checkered rattlesnake plantain art print
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Checkered rattlesnake plantain greeting card
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Checkered rattlesnake plantain mug
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Checkered rattlesnake plantain earrings
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Checkered rattlesnake plantain embroidery pattern
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Checkered rattlesnake plantain sticker
When does it bloom?
In Massachusetts, most flowering sightings come in July–August.
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
- Massachusetts
- Not listed Not on Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Massachusetts. MESA list
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MD (SH), NJ (S1), OH (SH), PA (S2), RI (S2). (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 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 checkered rattlesnake plantain in 14 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin.
Massachusetts counties with USDA records: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Worcester.
More Massachusetts flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile GOTE.
- iNaturalist, Goodyera tesselata: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Goodyera tesselata (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Endangered Species Act list (321 CMR 10.90).
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List (MDAR) (Text from MDAR's 2023 scientific-name PDF (mass.gov blocks automated downloads); 2024-2026 additions listed on the mass.gov page: Alnus glutinosa, Pyrus calleryana, Miscanthus sinensis, Aralia elata, Rhodotypos scandens, Symplocos paniculata.).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Goodyera tesselata (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Lynn Harper via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.