Meadow goat's-beard

Tragopogon pratensis

Family: Asteraceae

Biennial
Pollinator Plant
Self-seeding

Pet & Human Safety

People: Skin irritant to peoplePets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them

Hazardous parts

Not yet checked.

Preparation

Not a food plant; no preparation guidance is given.

Hazard type

No human poison or irritant tags on the NC State page (it notes a milky sap in roots, stems and leaves and bitter-tasting sap); no hazard claim is made either way

Hazard route

None stated by our sources; absence is not clearance (skin contact with the milky sap is not addressed).

How complete this information is

The safety information on this page is partial. Where a source covers a point, it is shown; where none does, the page says so.

Toxic to pets

No ASPCA entry found.

No ASPCA page assesses this plant, and the NC State Plant Toolbox page carries no poison tags. That is 'not listed', not 'safe'. Keep pets away from plants you cannot confirm.

PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.

Look-alike warning

Could be mistaken for Other plants with a similar name or look. To tell them apart: Match on the scientific name, Tragopogon pratensis, not on the common name.. RHS's garden-plants pollinator list also uses 'goat's beard' for Aruncus dioicus (a different plant), and 'salsify' names are shared with the cultivated root crop Tragopogon porrifolius. Match on the Latin name, not the common name.

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

Get the app: coming soon

Care

Hardiness zones: USDA 3a-7b (NC State)
Water needs: NC State gives soil drainage as good to moist but no water-need rating. Use the finger test two inches down; no fixed schedule.
Mature size: Flowering stems 1-3 ft tall in year two (NC State). Width: not stated.
Where it comes from: Europe to Central Asia and Turkey; introduced to widespread areas of Canada, Haiti and the United States (NC State). Great Britain is in NC State's native list.

Soil & Drainage

Pruning & Flush Rhythm

Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

Get the app: coming soon