Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) is a perennial which grows from a long taproot and a woody base.    Basal leaves appear in spring, but wither in summer.   Fleshy pinkish showy flowers appear on short stalks, mostly hiding any linear leaves.    The flowers have 15 narrow petals and 6 to 9 sepals.   Small seed capsules form in summer.

The flowers open in the sun, especially on south-facing slopes.    We find bitterroot on open rocky hills between Cache Creek and Spences Bridge, usually near the end of May.   We have also spotted them in the Southern Okanagan and south of the border in the channeled scablands.

First Nations traditional people dug up the root in early spring and stored it for winter consumption.   The roots can stay viable for a while if dug up.    We have successfully added it to our south-facing home rock garden.

All of these photos were taken in Elephant Hill Provincial Park, found on top of the ridge overlooking Ashcroft.   Click any image for the Google Photos album.

We do an annual pilgrimage to this area during the Victoria Day weekend or shortly after, hiking into the hills to enjoy the dry lands’ wildflowers.