Flower profile

Rose pogonia

Pogonia ophioglossoides

Native in the lower 48

Rose pogonia is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native 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 April–July.

33states

2of our state lists

6,549U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Maine, New Hampshire

Quick look

Pogonia ophioglossoides, also known the snakemouth orchid, adder's tongue or rose pogonia, is a species of orchid occurring from central Canada to the east-central and eastern United States. This species occurs in wet habitats. It is the type species of the genus Pogonia, and is the only species of its genus native to North America.
From Wikipedia's article Pogonia ophioglossoides, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Orchidaceae 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 33 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Maine and New Hampshire. ^NatureServe
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
In New Hampshire, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 748 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #95 among the 110 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 304 research-grade sightings of it in New Hampshire, ranking #92 among the 109 flowers on our New Hampshire list. ^iNaturalist

Rose pogonia gift ideas

Handmade rose pogonia 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

Rose pogonia art print
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Rose pogonia greeting card
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Rose pogonia mug
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Rose pogonia earrings
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Rose pogonia embroidery pattern
Gift pick coming soon
Placeholder

Rose pogonia sticker
Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (990 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Maine	Native	June–July	748
New Hampshire	Native	June–July	304

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
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AR (S2), DC (SX), DE (S2), IL (S1), KY (S1), MO (S1), ND (S1), OH (S2), OK (S1), TN (S2), WV (S2). (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 rose pogonia in 33 states plus Washington, D.C.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

New Hampshire counties with USDA records: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford.

More Maine flowers

Pink lady's slipper

Cypripedium acaule

Native

🌼 Blooms in ME: May–June

Broad-leaved helleborine

Epipactis helleborine

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in ME: July–August

Tuberous grass pink

Calopogon tuberosus

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile POOP.
iNaturalist, Pogonia ophioglossoides: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Pogonia ophioglossoides (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Pogonia ophioglossoides (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Laura J. Costello via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.