Flower profile

Lilac tasselflower

Emilia sonchifolia

Introduced in the lower 48

Lilac tasselflower is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in January–December.

7states

2of our state lists

5,723U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Florida, Hawaii

Quick look

Emilia sonchifolia, also known as lilac tasselflower or cupid's shaving brush, is a tropical flowering species of tasselflower in the sunflower family. It is a branching, annual herb up to 40 cm tall. The leaves are lyrate-pinnatilobed, up to 10 cm (4 in) long, sometimes becoming purplish as they get old. One plant can produce several pink or purplish flower heads.
From Wikipedia's article Emilia sonchifolia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 7 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as not native to Florida and Hawaii. ^NatureServe
In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. ^iNaturalist
In Hawaii, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in January–December. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 4,951 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #35 among the 110 flowers on our Florida list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 726 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #66 among the 105 flowers on our Hawaii list. ^iNaturalist

Lilac tasselflower gift ideas

Handmade lilac tasselflower 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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Lilac tasselflower art print
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Lilac tasselflower embroidery pattern
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Lilac tasselflower sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (387 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Florida	Introduced	January–December	4,951
Hawaii	Introduced	January–December	726

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. ^NatureServe
Florida: Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Florida. ^{FAC 5B-40.0055}
Hawaii: Not listed Not on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Hawaii. ^{HAR 13-107}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

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 lilac tasselflower in 7 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Broward, Collier, DeSoto, Escambia, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Lucie.

Hawaii counties with USDA records: Honolulu, Kauai, Maui.

More Florida flowers

Firewheel

Gaillardia pulchella

★ OK state wildflowerIntroduced

🌼 Blooms in FL: January–December

White beggarticks

Bidens alba

Native

🌼 Blooms in FL: January–December

Straggler daisy

Calyptocarpus vialis

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: March–December

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile EMSO.
iNaturalist, Emilia sonchifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Emilia sonchifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Florida: Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055).
Florida: Florida Noxious Weed List (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-57.007).
Hawaii: Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
Hawaii: Hawaii noxious weed list (HAR 4-68).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Emilia sonchifolia (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Emily Summerbell via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.