Flower profile

Prairie dock

Silphium terebinthinaceum

Native in the lower 48

Prairie dock 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 July–September.

17states

3of our state lists

9,679U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri

Quick look

Silphium terebinthinaceum is a member of the Asteraceae, a family that includes sunflowers, and is commonly referred to as prairie dock or prairie rosinweed. It is native to central and eastern North America. "Rosinweed" became one of the plant's common names due to the fact that upon injury, resin flows from the wound, giving the plant a sweet smell.
From Wikipedia's article Silphium terebinthinaceum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asteraceae 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 17 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. ^NatureServe
In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
In Indiana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,426 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #39 among the 109 flowers on our Illinois list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 898 research-grade sightings of it in Indiana, ranking #83 among the 109 flowers on our Indiana list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 746 research-grade sightings of it in Missouri, ranking #86 among the 109 flowers on our Missouri list. ^iNaturalist

Prairie dock gift ideas

Handmade prairie dock 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”) (320 records)

Bloom time in each of our 3 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Illinois	Native	July–September	3,426
Indiana	Native	July–September	898
Missouri	Native	July–October	746

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G4 Apparently secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Illinois: Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Illinois. ^{IL E&T checklist 2025}
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: SNR, not yet ranked in Indiana.
Missouri: Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. ^{3 CSR 10-4.111}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NC (S2), SC (S1), TN (S2), VA (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?

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.

🌿 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 prairie dock in 17 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, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Saline, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, Woodford.

Indiana counties with USDA records: Benton, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Decatur, Delaware, Elkhart, Floyd, Fountain, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Harrison, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jasper, Knox, Kosciusko, Lagrange, Lake, Lawrence, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Newton, Noble, Parke, Perry, Porter, Posey, Pulaski, Randolph, St. Joseph, Steuben, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vermillion, Vigo, Warren, Wayne, White.

Missouri counties with USDA records: Barry, Benton, Bollinger, Boone, Callaway, Camden, Carter, Christian, Clark, Cole, Cooper, Crawford, Dallas, Dent, Douglas, Franklin, Gasconade, Greene, Hickory, Howard, Howell, Iron, Jefferson, Laclede, Lawrence, Lincoln, Madison, Maries, Marion, McDonald, Miller, Moniteau, Montgomery, Morgan, Oregon, Osage, Ozark, Phelps, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Ralls, Reynolds, Ripley, Shannon, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Louis, Ste. Genevieve, Stone, Taney, Texas, Warren, Washington, Webster, Wright.

More Illinois flowers

Common yarrow

Achillea millefolium

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White snakeroot

Ageratina altissima

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Chicory

Cichorium intybus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in IL: June–October

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SITE.
iNaturalist, Silphium terebinthinaceum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Silphium terebinthinaceum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Illinois: Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist.
Illinois: Illinois Official List of Exotic Weeds (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1100.30, Illinois Exotic Weed Act).
Indiana: Indiana prohibited invasive terrestrial plants (312 IAC 18-3-25).
Missouri: Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants.
Missouri: Missouri noxious weed list (2 CSR 70-45.005).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Silphium terebinthinaceum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Peyton Phelps via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.