Arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) is a herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae family.
- Balsamroot is a long-lived perennial with showy flowers.
- It forms a long taproot and has a woody base.
- Stems with short wooly hairs grow 20 – 75 cm.
- The basal leaves are silver/grey and triangle-shaped. Fine wooly hairs cover the underside of the leaves. The leaves green with age.
- Higher leaves on the stem are linear, smaller, and oval-shaped.
- Involucre bracts are obvious as the flower develops. They are lanceolate, wooly and long.
- Large yellow ray-and-disk flowers are often solitary on stems, but more than one can also occur.
- Balsamroot starts to bloom in May and lasts through much of June.
- Balsamroot is pollinated by a wide variety of insects.
- Some images are shared here, all taken by the author. Click an image for a lightbox (larger) view.
- All parts of the plant are edible and has been used by First Nations for a long time.
- Grazing animals and rodents feed on balsamroot.
- After flowering the petals drop off and achenes develop.
- As the summer months pass, the leaves wither and the stems die back.
- Balsamroot can be found in the grasslands, open glades, and valley slopes in our area.
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