Balsamorhiza is a genus of perennials in the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisies, dandelions and lettuce. Growing 8-36″ tall, plants typically have fleshy taproots, large basal leaves and erect stems that carry solitary, flowerheads. Each flowerhead is made up of bright yellow ray florets surrounding a center of disc florets. The entire plant is edible and nutritious but not considered tasty. Native Americans used the plants for medicine and food. Wildlife and livestock find the plants palatable. The flowerheads may attract pollinators. Native to western North America, balsamroot likes full sun and moderately moist to dry, well-drained soil.
The genus name, Balsamorhiza, comes from the Greek words βάλσαμον (bálsamon) meaning balsam, and ρίζα (rhiza) meaning root, and refers to the fragrance of the root.
Photo Credit: Walter Siegmund, Wikimedia Commons
The environmental conditions in the Rocky Mountain area have resulted in at least four species of native balsamroots but they may be native to other places too. All the balsamroots described here are native to at least one of the states in the Rocky Mountain area.
Highly divided arrow-shaped leaves are up to 16″ long, have silky hairs and grow from a long taproot to produce a clump. In spring to mid summer, leafless flowering stems arise and produce terminal yellow flower heads 1-3″ across. Each flower head has 10-21 fringe-tipped ray flowers surrounding a center of numerous disc flowers. The flowerheads attract native bees.
Alternate Name/s: Hooker’s balsamroot
Native Range: Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming as well as parts of the Pacific Coast and Southwest
Habitat: Grassy, rocky, open woods at elevations of 2500-5000 ft.
Type: Perennial
Height: 12″
Bloom Time: Spring into early summer
Bloom Color: Yellow
Light: Full sun
Soil: Rocky, dry, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Photo Credit: Walter Siegmund, Wikipedia
Hoary Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza incana)
Basal leaves are lance-shaped to oblong, 4-17″ long, and pinnately divided with toothed leaflets. They are gray and have long woolly hairs. Yellow flowerheads are carried on leafless stems except for a pair of small deeply divided leaves beneath each. The flowerheads have13 or more ray florets surrounding a center of disc florets and attract native bees.
Alternate Name/s: None
Native Range: Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as well as places in the Pacific Coast
Habitat: Moderately moist to moderately dry open places such as meadows
Type: Perennial
Height: 8-36″
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer
Bloom Color: Yellow
Light: Full sun
Soil: Fertile, medium moist to dry, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Cutleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza macrophylla)
The basal, lance-shaped leaves form a clump from a taproot. They are 15-30″ long, pinnately lobed, and are covered with long soft hairs. Solitary yellow flowerheads are carried on lax leafless stems and are up to 5″ across.
Alternate Name/s: Large-leaved Balsamroot , hairy balsamroot, Idaho balsamroot, cleft-leaf balsamroot
Native Range: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah as well as parts of the Pacific Coast
Habitat: Sagebrush scrublands, rocky meadows, and conifer forests usually at usually at elevations from 4500 to 7000 feet
Type: Perennial
Height: 12-36″
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer
Bloom Color: Yellow
Light: Sun to part shade
Soil: Average, medium moist to dry, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 and warmer
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata)
Arrow-shaped basal leaves are carried on petioles 2-18″ long and form silvery gray tufts. Upper stem leaves are linear to elliptic and smaller. All leaves are silvery white to green. Eight to twenty-four hairy, glandular stems arise that are 8 to 24 inches tall and carry 2-3″ wide yellow flowerheads from late spring to summer.
Alternate Name/s: Breadroot, Oregon sunflower, spring sunflower
Native Range: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Nevada as well as places in the Southwest, Pacific Coast, and Midwest.
Habitat: Sandy plains and forest openings at elevations of 4000-8000 ft.
Type: Perennial
Height: up to 31″
Bloom Time: Late spring into summer
Bloom Color: Yellow
Light: Sun to part shade
Soil: Silty to loam, dry to medium moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Photo Credit: Thayne Tuason -, Wikimedia Commons
Six states are included in the Rocky Mountains area: Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. The geography is diverse and includes mountains, plains, and deserts, and the climatic conditions are variable and vary with the geography. Low annual rainfall and high temperatures are typical of some parts of the area, while snowfall and low temperatures are found in other parts and the mountains of all of these states.