Arrowleaf balsamroot
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Balsamorhiza sagittata
Perenial Flower These are one of the most common, numerous and recognizable wildflowers of Western Montana these days. They often cover whole hillsides, mountain after mountain, in the spring. |
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DESCRIPTION
Flower
Large yellow sunflower-style flowers, growing in clumps with individual stems (most often one flower per stem) and large, bright yellow, arrow-shaped leaves. The flowers have darker centers, usually orange tending towards brown. The centers are dark clusters with little tubular rays of yellow jutting out from them. The petals are lance shaped, most often with a slight split at the tip of each, forming two teeth.
After the flower is gone, usually by early summer, whole hill sides are often covered with the leaf clusters and stems of dried flower-heads.
Large yellow sunflower-style flowers, growing in clumps with individual stems (most often one flower per stem) and large, bright yellow, arrow-shaped leaves. The flowers have darker centers, usually orange tending towards brown. The centers are dark clusters with little tubular rays of yellow jutting out from them. The petals are lance shaped, most often with a slight split at the tip of each, forming two teeth.
After the flower is gone, usually by early summer, whole hill sides are often covered with the leaf clusters and stems of dried flower-heads.
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WHOLE PLANT
Stem The stems are slightly hairy with one flower per stem. 
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Leaves
The leaves are large, often bigger than a person's hand, and lance shaped with heart shaped bottoms. They have one long stem running through them to the tip and are mostly smooth edged, with slight wrinkles along their sides. The leaves are also coated in fine, tiny hairs.
The leaves are large, often bigger than a person's hand, and lance shaped with heart shaped bottoms. They have one long stem running through them to the tip and are mostly smooth edged, with slight wrinkles along their sides. The leaves are also coated in fine, tiny hairs.
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Root
The root, which branches often and is bark-like, can extend up to two meters under the soil.
The root, which branches often and is bark-like, can extend up to two meters under the soil.
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WHERE TO FIND IT:
These flowers take over whole mountainsides in spring, both those in full sun and those completely in shade. When introduced to an area, they start out in patches, but within a few years they cover every inch of ground. They are an early spring flower, and by late spring the flowers themselves are mostly gone, leaving behind their green bunches of leaves through and around which other flowers and grasses grow.
These flowers take over whole mountainsides in spring, both those in full sun and those completely in shade. When introduced to an area, they start out in patches, but within a few years they cover every inch of ground. They are an early spring flower, and by late spring the flowers themselves are mostly gone, leaving behind their green bunches of leaves through and around which other flowers and grasses grow.
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