Flower profile
Maryland meadowbeauty
Rhexia mariana
Maryland meadowbeauty is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Mississippi it's most often seen in bloom in May–October.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Mississippi
Quick look
Rhexia mariana is a species of flowering plant in the Melastomataceae family known by the common names pale meadow beauty or Maryland meadowbeauty. It is native to the eastern and lower midwestern United States.
- It belongs to the Melastomataceae 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
- NatureServe lists it as native to Mississippi. NatureServe
- In Mississippi, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–October. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 307 research-grade sightings of it in Mississippi, ranking #92 among the 110 flowers on our Mississippi list. iNaturalist
Maryland meadowbeauty gift ideas
Handmade maryland meadowbeauty 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
Maryland meadowbeauty art print
-
Placeholder
Maryland meadowbeauty greeting card
-
Placeholder
Maryland meadowbeauty mug
-
Placeholder
Maryland meadowbeauty earrings
-
Placeholder
Maryland meadowbeauty embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
Maryland meadowbeauty sticker
When does it bloom?
In Mississippi, most flowering sightings come in May–October.
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
- 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.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IL (S1), IN (S1), MA (S1), NY (SX), PA (S1), WV (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 maryland meadowbeauty in 25 states plus Washington, D.C.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.
Mississippi counties with USDA records: Amite, Attala, Benton, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Clay, Covington, Forrest, Franklin, George, Greene, Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes, Humphreys, Itawamba, Jackson, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Kemper, Lafayette, Lamar, Lawrence, Leake, Lee, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Montgomery, Neshoba, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Rankin, Scott, Simpson, Smith, Stone, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Union, Walthall, Wayne, Webster, Winston, Yalobusha.
More Mississippi flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile RHMA.
- iNaturalist, Rhexia mariana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Rhexia mariana (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, Rhexia mariana (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: Lauren McLaurin via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.