When does common fiddleneck bloom?

Common fiddleneck generally flowers from April through June, with small yellow-orange blossoms arranged along a curved, fiddlehead-like stem.

What growing conditions does common fiddleneck prefer?

It grows best in full sun with low water needs, thriving in dry, open sites such as grasslands, rangelands, and disturbed soils.

What pollinators visit common fiddleneck?

Bees and beetles are the main visitors to its flowers, which appear in dense curled clusters typical of the borage family.

Does common fiddleneck keep its leaves year round?

As an annual forb, common fiddleneck completes its life cycle in one growing season rather than retaining leaves through multiple years.

Is Common Fiddleneck HOA-friendly?

Common Fiddleneck takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Common Fiddleneck

Name: Pollinator Patch
Author: Pollinator Patch

Amsinckia menziesii

Last reviewed: August 2026

Common fiddleneck is a spring-blooming forb of dry, open rangelands and grasslands in the western United States, flowering from April through June and drawing bees and beetles to its curled clusters of small yellow-orange flowers.

Common Fiddleneck (Amsinckia menziesii) is not on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center toxic plant list for dogs or cats (aspca.org (opens in new tab), last reviewed 2026-05-21). If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

Light

full sun

Water

low

Size

6"–24" H × 4"–12" W

Bloom

Apr, May, Jun

Native to

AZ, CA, ID, MT and 6 more states

Pollinators

bees, beetles

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Browse plants for this ecoregion

Coast Range Puget Lowland Marine West Coast Forest Northwestern Forested Mountains Sierra Nevada Central California Foothills and Coastal Mountains Central California Valley Southern California Mountains North American Deserts Central Basin and Range Mojave Basin and Range Southern Rockies Arizona/New Mexico Mountains Chihuahuan Deserts Madrean Archipelago Sonoran Basin and Range Southern California/Northern Baja Coast

Common fiddleneck is a low-growing annual wildflower with fuzzy leaves and small orange to yellow flowers that bloom in coiled clusters from April through June. This drought-tolerant plant grows 6 to 24 inches tall and thrives in full sun with minimal water. As an annual, it completes its life cycle in one season and may self-seed under favorable conditions.

Growing Common Fiddleneck

Grow Common Fiddleneck in full sun and low water. Mature plants reach 6 to 24 inches tall and spread 4 to 12 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.

In an HOA neighborhood

Common Fiddleneck takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: low. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Works well in: backyard only.

Can appear weedy and unkempt
May self-seed unpredictably as an annual

Wildlife value

The flowers attract native bees and beetles during the spring and early summer blooming period. This plant provides nectar and pollen for small pollinators when many other flowers are not yet available.

Common questions

When does common fiddleneck bloom?: Common fiddleneck generally flowers from April through June, with small yellow-orange blossoms arranged along a curved, fiddlehead-like stem.
What growing conditions does common fiddleneck prefer?: It grows best in full sun with low water needs, thriving in dry, open sites such as grasslands, rangelands, and disturbed soils.
What pollinators visit common fiddleneck?: Bees and beetles are the main visitors to its flowers, which appear in dense curled clusters typical of the borage family.
Does common fiddleneck keep its leaves year round?: As an annual forb, common fiddleneck completes its life cycle in one growing season rather than retaining leaves through multiple years.
Is Common Fiddleneck toxic to dogs?: Common Fiddleneck is not on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center toxic plant list for dogs (aspca.org).
Is Common Fiddleneck toxic to cats?: Common Fiddleneck is not on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center toxic plant list for cats (aspca.org).
Is Common Fiddleneck HOA-friendly?: Common Fiddleneck takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.

Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

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Common plant problems, and what to check first

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