Balsamorhiza sagittata
Origin: Paradise, Utah
Improvement status: Wild
Seeds per packet: ~50
BOTANICAL SAMPLE - NOT GERMINATION TESTED
Life cycle: Perennial
Arrowleaf Balsamroot is native to much of western North America, from central British Columbia south to southern California and the Four Corners region. A perennial member of the Heliantheae (sunflower) tribe of the Asteraceae (aster) family, it has long been used as both food and medicine by indigenous peoples including Nimíipuu (Nez Perce), Kutenai (Kootenay), Tsétsėhéstȧhese and Só'taeo'o (Cheyenne), and Salish peoples. The leaves (raw or cooked), roots (cooked), and seeds (raw, pounded into flour, or used for oil) are all edible. The leaves are best when young. Expect flavors reminiscent of citrus, pine, and sunchoke.
These seeds were wild-harvested by our friend Joseph Lofthouse of Paradise, Utah, where it grows on south- and east-facing slopes around 5,500 feet in elevation. Joseph really loves this plant, and these are his about it:
"This iconic mountain wildflower bursts into sun-bright yellow bloom in early spring, bringing cheer to dry hillsides long before most plants awaken. The silvery-gray, arrow-shaped leaves reveal its preference for highly xeric conditions — an expert at thriving where summers run
hot and rain runs scarce. Collected from the dry slopes of my 6th generation family-farm, this population reflects life in alkaline, silty-clay soil with low fertility — a habitat typical for the species across much of the Intermountain West. Once established, plants persist for decades, drawing water from deep roots and feeding pollinators each spring. Arrowleaf balsamroot invites patience — germination and first blooms may take time — but it rewards the grower with resilience, fragrance, and the luminous joy of early spring color."
GROWING TIPS: Requires 90 days of cold-moist stratification. Best sown outdoors in late fall into a weed-free bed. Plant in full sun and allow plenty of space for its generous crown.
