Flower profile

Lyreleaf sage

Salvia lyrata

Native in the lower 48

Lyreleaf sage is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 15 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in February–May.

25states

15of our state lists

43,003U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia

Quick look

Salvia lyrata, is a herbaceous perennial in the family Lamiaceae that is native to the United States, from Connecticut west to Missouri, and in the south from Florida west to Texas. It was described and named by Carl Linnaeus in 1753.
From Wikipedia's article Salvia lyrata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Lamiaceae 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 25 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
In Florida, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 5,931 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #11 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 5,852 research-grade sightings of it in Florida, ranking #26 among the 110 flowers on our Florida list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 4,027 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #7 among the 112 flowers on our Tennessee list. ^iNaturalist

Lyreleaf sage gift ideas

Handmade lyreleaf sage gifts from independent makers.

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (4,572 records)

Bloom time in each of our 15 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
North Carolina	Native	April–June	5,931
Florida	Native	February–April	5,852
Tennessee	Native	April–May	4,027
Virginia	Native	April–May	3,469
Georgia	Native	March–May	3,121
Alabama	Native	March–May	2,781
Arkansas	Native	April–May	1,878
Louisiana	Native	February–April	1,644
Maryland	Native	April–May	1,529
Kentucky	Native	April–May	1,417
South Carolina	Native	March–April	1,277
Mississippi	Native	March–April	1,149
West Virginia	Native	April–June	427
Oklahoma	Native	few records	362
Delaware	Native	April–May	172

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
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
Florida: Not listed Not on Florida Regulated Plant Index (Fla. Admin. Code 5B-40.0055). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Florida. ^{FAC 5B-40.0055}
Tennessee: Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. ^{TN rule 0400-06-02-.04}
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
Arkansas: No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
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. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
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}
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
West Virginia: No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.
Oklahoma: No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Delaware: Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: S5, secure in Delaware. ^{DE rare plants 2024}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: KS (S1), NY (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 edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Salvia coccinea (“Scarlet Sage”), as non-toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ^ASPCA

🌿 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 lyreleaf sage in 25 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Carteret, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Chowan, Clay, Cleveland, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Davie, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Gates, Graham, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Lee, Lenoir, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, Martin, Mitchell, Montgomery, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Tyrrell, Union, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilson.

Florida counties with USDA records: Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington.

Tennessee counties with USDA records: Anderson, Bedford, Benton, Bledsoe, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Carter, Cheatham, Claiborne, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, DeKalb, Decatur, Dickson, Fayette, Fentress, Franklin, Giles, Grainger, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Houston, Jackson, Knox, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lewis, Loudon, Madison, Marshall, Maury, McMinn, McNairy, Meigs, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Overton, Polk, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sequatchie, Sevier, Shelby, Stewart, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Unicoi, Union, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, Weakley, White, Williamson, Wilson.