Carried by 1 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Balsamorhiza sagittata is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower tribe of the plant family Asteraceae known by the common name arrowleaf balsamroot. It is native to much of western North America from British Columbia to California to the Dakotas, where it grows in many types of habitat from mountain forests to grassland to desert scrub. It is drought tolerant. This is a taprooted perennial herb growing a hairy, hairy stem 20 to 60 centimeters tall. The branching, barky root may extend over two meters deep into the soil. The basal leaves are generally triangular in shape and are large, approaching 50 centimeters in maximum length. Leaves farther up the stem are linear to narrowly oval in shape and smaller. The leaves have untoothed edges and are coated in fine to rough hairs, especially on the undersides. The flower cluster bears one or more flower heads. Each head has a center of long yellowish tubular disc florets and a fringe of bright yellow ray florets, each up to 4 centimeters long. The fruit is a hairless achene about 8 millimeters long. Grazing animals find the plant palatable, especially the flowers and developing seed heads. Many Native American groups, including the Nez Perce, Kootenai, Cheyenne, and Salish, utilized the plant as a food and medicine.
Perennial herb
8 - 24 in Tall
Upright
Moderate
Yellow
Spring
Full Sun, Partial Shade
Moderate
Prefers loamy or clay soils. Grows poorly in sandy soils.
For propagating by seed: 3 mos. stratification ( Young and Evans 1979). Check periodically to remove and pot germinating seeds.
Open places
Northern Juniper Woodland, Sagebrush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest
Butterflies and moths supported
0 confirmed and 1 likely
Spotted Straw Sun Moth
Heliothis phloxiphaga