Yellow Screwstem

Bartonia virginica

Found in bogs, swamps, pine savannas, pocosin ecotones, pocosins, dune swales. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

8

Modest

Native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 71%

Height: Up to about 16 inches
Light: Partial shade, Full sun
Soil moisture: Dry to wet

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At a glance

Life cycle: Annual
Bloom: July to October
Fruiting season: September to October

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Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 67 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 4

View, Dismal Swamp, North Carolina — Named place / source context. Shown: Great Dismal Swamp, North Carolina, as titled by Museum of Fine Arts Boston; nineteenth-century artistic interpretation, a neighboring state.View, Dismal Swamp, North Carolina, Regis Francois Gignoux, 1850. Public domain. Source record.

Sandy Pine Savanna, Rush Featherling subtype — Sandy pine savanna. Shown: Shaken Creek Preserve, Pender and Onslow Counties, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Sandy Pine Savanna, Rush Featherling subtype, Robert Thornhill, undated. CC BY 4.0. Source record.

Dense low pocosin — Dense low pocosin. Shown: Shaken Creek Preserve, Pender and Onslow Counties, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Dense low pocosin, Robert Thornhill, undated. CC BY 4.0. Source record.

Core Banks dunes, June 2013 — Dune grassland. Shown: Core Banks, Cape Lookout, North Carolina, a neighboring state.Core Banks dunes, June 2013, Jarek Tuszyński, June 2013. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source record.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 73 animals.

Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Towhee
Pipilo erythrophthalmus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Fish Crow
Corvus ossifragus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Golden-winged Warbler
Vermivora chrysoptera
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Crested Flycatcher
Myiarchus crinitus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Green Heron
Butorides virescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hooded Warbler
Wilsonia citrina
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Horned Grebe
Podiceps auritus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Magnolia Warbler
Dendroica magnolia
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Contopus cooperi
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Peregrine Falcon
Falco peregrinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

0CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

0BeesSoutheastern regional records

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Gentianaceae
Flower color: Yellow
Fruit begins: September
Fruit ends: October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “July to October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Fruit begins · “September” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Height · “Up to about 16 inches” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Life cycle · “Annual” · Minnesota Wildflowers
Light · “Partial shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
primary_flower_color · “yellow” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Soil · “Dry; Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

Yellow Screw Stem

Conservation status

Virginia rank	S5
Global rank	G5
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources