Flower profile

Western wallflower

Erysimum capitatum

Native in the lower 48

Western wallflower 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 March–July.

27states

2of our state lists

15,105U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Colorado, New Mexico

Quick look

Erysimum capitatum is a species of wallflower known commonly as the sanddune wallflower, western wallflower, or prairie rocket.
From Wikipedia's article Erysimum capitatum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Brassicaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a biennial, perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 27 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Colorado and New Mexico. ^NatureServe
In Colorado, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–August. ^iNaturalist
In New Mexico, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–August. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,637 research-grade sightings of it in Colorado, ranking #34 among the 110 flowers on our Colorado list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,135 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #39 among the 109 flowers on our New Mexico list. ^iNaturalist

Western wallflower gift ideas

Handmade western wallflower 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.

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Western wallflower art print
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Western wallflower greeting card
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Western wallflower mug
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Western wallflower earrings
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Western wallflower embroidery pattern
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Western wallflower sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,209 records)

Bloom time in each of our 2 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Colorado	Native	April–August	3,637
New Mexico	Native	April–August	1,135

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
Colorado: No list Colorado has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Colorado ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Colorado.
New Mexico: Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. ^{19.21.2.9 NMAC}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AR (S2), IN (S1), OH (S1), TN (S1), VA (S2), 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?

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. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Erysimum cheiranthoides (“Wormseed Mustard”), 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 Western wallflower in 27 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Colorado counties with USDA records: Adams, Alamosa, Arapahoe, Archuleta, Baca, Boulder, Chaffee, Cheyenne, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Delta, Dolores, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Elbert, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, Kit Carson, La Plata, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Mesa, Mineral, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Otero, Ouray, Park, Phillips, Pitkin, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Juan, San Miguel, Sedgwick, Summit, Teller, Washington, Weld, Yuma.

New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Colfax, Curry, Dona Ana, Grant, Harding, Hidalgo, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union.

More Colorado flowers

Hoary alyssum

Berteroa incana

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: June–October

Crossflower

Chorispora tenella

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in CO: March–June

Fendler's pennycress

Noccaea fendleri

Native

🌼 Blooms in CO: March–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ERCA14.
iNaturalist, Erysimum capitatum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Erysimum capitatum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Colorado: Colorado noxious weed lists A, B and C (8 CCR 1206-2, eff. May 15, 2025).
New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Erysimum capitatum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Anders Hastings via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.