Flower profile

Texas prairie parsley

Polytaenia texana

Native to Texas

Texas prairie parsley is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Texas it's most often seen in bloom in April–May.

2states

7,531TX sightings*

7,556U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Texas

Quick look

Polytaenia texana, commonly known as Texas prairie parsley, is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family (Apiaceae). It is native to Texas and Oklahoma in the United States.
From Wikipedia's article Polytaenia texana, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Apiaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a biennial, perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Texas. ^NatureServe
In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 7,531 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #83 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. ^iNaturalist

Texas prairie parsley gift ideas

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When does it bloom?

In Texas, most flowering sightings come in April–May.

Flowering records by month in Texas (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (123 records)

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
Texas: Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Texas. ^{31 TAC 69.8}
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 Texas prairie parsley in 2 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Oklahoma, Texas.

Texas counties with USDA records: Anderson, Austin, Bandera, Bastrop, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Brazoria, Brazos, Brown, Burleson, Burnet, Calhoun, Camp, Chambers, Coleman, Collin, Comal, Cooke, Coryell, Dallas, Denton, Eastland, Ellis, Erath, Fannin, Fayette, Franklin, Freestone, Galveston, Gillespie, Gonzales, Grayson, Grimes, Harris, Hays, Henderson, Hill, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt, Jack, Jefferson, Kendall, Kerr, Lamar, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Llano, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Mills, Montgomery, Navarro, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rains, Real, Red River, Refugio, Robertson, Rockwall, San Patricio, San Saba, Smith, Somervell, Sutton, Tarrant, Travis, Trinity, Upshur, Van Zandt, Walker, Washington, Williamson.

More Texas flowers

Common hedge parsley

Torilis arvensis

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in TX: April–June

Pinkladies

Oenothera speciosa

Native

🌼 Blooms in TX: March–May

Firewheel

Gaillardia pulchella

★ OK state wildflowerNative

🌼 Blooms in TX: March–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile POTE3.
iNaturalist, Polytaenia texana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Polytaenia texana (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Polytaenia texana (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Linda Jo Conn via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.