Flower profile
Youth-on-age
Tolmiea menziesii
Youth-on-age is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Washington it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Washington
Quick look
Tolmiea menziesii is a species of flowering plant in the family Saxifragaceae. It is known by the common names youth on age, pick-a-back-plant, piggyback plant, and thousand mothers. It is a perennial plant native to the West Coast of North America, occurring in northern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and southern Alaska.
- It belongs to the Saxifragaceae 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 4 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Washington. NatureServe
- In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–July. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,692 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #69 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. iNaturalist
Youth-on-age gift ideas
Handmade youth-on-age 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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Youth-on-age art print
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Youth-on-age greeting card
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Youth-on-age mug
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Youth-on-age earrings
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Youth-on-age embroidery pattern
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Youth-on-age sticker
When does it bloom?
In Washington, most flowering sightings come in April–July.
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
- Washington
- No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
- 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?
NC State Extension lists it as poisonous to humans (severity: low). Poisonous parts: flowers, leaves, roots, sap/juice, stems. Symptoms they list: “Allergic reactions; redness, itching, blisters; low risk.” 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 youth-on-age in 4 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alaska, California, Oregon, Washington.
Washington counties with USDA records: Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom.
More Washington flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile TOME.
- iNaturalist, Tolmiea menziesii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Tolmiea menziesii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Washington: Washington State noxious weed list (WAC 16-750-005, -011, -015).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Tolmiea menziesii (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
- Photo: John Brew via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.