Bloomipedia
Harbinger of spring (Erigenia bulbosa)
Photo: Evan M. Raskin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Harbinger of spring

Erigenia bulbosa

Native in the lower 48

Harbinger of spring is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in February–April.

20states
3of our state lists
7,697U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio

Quick look

Erigenia bulbosa, also known as harbinger of spring or pepper and salt, is a flowering perennial plant in the family Apiaceae. E. bulbosa is the only species in the genus Erigenia and tribe Erigenieae. This plant is known as harbinger of spring because it is one of the earliest blooming native wildflowers of rich forests in the mid-latitude United States.

  • It belongs to the Apiaceae 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 20 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. NatureServe
  • In Indiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. iNaturalist
  • In Ohio, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,137 research-grade sightings of it in Indiana, ranking #21 among the 109 flowers on our Indiana list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,796 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #99 among the 109 flowers on our Ohio list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 798 research-grade sightings of it in Kentucky, ranking #74 among the 110 flowers on our Kentucky list. iNaturalist

Harbinger of spring gift ideas

Handmade harbinger of spring 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

    Harbinger of spring art print

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Harbinger of spring greeting card

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Harbinger of spring mug

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Harbinger of spring earrings

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Harbinger of spring embroidery pattern

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Harbinger of spring sticker

    Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,635 records)
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
IndianaNativeFebruary–April2,137
OhioNativeFebruary–April1,796
KentuckyNativeFebruary–March798

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
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Indiana.
Ohio
Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Ohio. OAC 1501:18-1-03
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: S5, secure in Kentucky. 400 KAR 3:040
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DC (SX), GA (S2), KS (S1), MS (S1), NC (S1), NY (S1), OK (S1), WI (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 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 harbinger of spring in 20 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Indiana counties with USDA records: Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Blackford, Clark, Crawford, Daviess, DeKalb, Dearborn, Delaware, Elkhart, Fayette, Fountain, Grant, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Howard, Huntington, Jackson, Jay, Jefferson, Johnson, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Noble, Orange, Parke, Perry, Posey, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Spencer, St. Joseph, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wells.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Adams, Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Brown, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Columbiana, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Defiance, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Franklin, Gallia, Geauga, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Henry, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Jackson, Jefferson, Lake, Licking, Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Mahoning, Medina, Meigs, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Paulding, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Portage, Preble, Putnam, Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Union, Vinton, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Williams, Wood, Wyandot.

Kentucky counties with USDA records: Adair, Anderson, Barren, Bath, Boone, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Caldwell, Campbell, Carter, Casey, Clark, Crittenden, Cumberland, Edmonson, Elliott, Estill, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Grant, Grayson, Hardin, Hart, Henderson, Henry, Hickman, Jackson, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton, Larue, Laurel, Lawrence, Letcher, Lewis, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, McCreary, McLean, Meade, Menifee, Mercer, Metcalfe, Montgomery, Nelson, Nicholas, Oldham, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, Rockcastle, Taylor, Todd, Trimble, Union, Warren, Wayne, Whitley, Wolfe, Woodford.

More Indiana flowers

Queen Anne's lace (wild carrot) (Daucus carota)

Queen Anne's lace (wild carrot)

Daucus carota

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in IN: June–September
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)

Poison hemlock

Conium maculatum

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in IN: May–June
Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium)

Rattlesnake master

Eryngium yuccifolium

Native

🌼 Blooms in IN: July–August

Sources