This week, splashes of bright yellow carpet our Wenatchee Valley hillsides as arrowleaf balsamoot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) comes into full bloom. Today’s blog is in celebration of Washington Native Plant Appreciation Month, with a focus on balsamroot, our region’s signature native sunflower.
Arrowleaf balsamroot is a long-lived perennial with a thick carrot-like taproot. Since early March, the new flowers and leaves have been slowly emerging from the underground stem (caudex), fueled by the taproot’s stored energy . By being close to the ground, the young shoots are protected from wind and cold night air. Daily, as the sun warms the soil and photosynthesis begins, the leaves and flower stems elongate and grow.
What does “long-lived” mean for arrowleaf balsamroot? One 1974 study’s result estimate plants living forty years or more. A research scientist working in SE Washington (Weaver: 1915, 1958) excavated 25 roots to learn that roots extended 5.5-9 feet deep and spread 3-feet laterally with many horizontal branches. Native Americans in Washington dug, baked or roasted, and dried the starchy roots for food.
The large leaves have a grayish color, similar to many other native plants that thrive in hot dry climate. Take a closer look to see tiny hairs covering the leaf. These hairs provide multiple benefits to the leaf. Hairs reflect away potentially damaging UV radiation and they trap moist air close to the leaf to slow the rate of evaporative water loss. Many native insects rely on balsamoot leaves as a food source. In early spring, mule deer and elk browse on the newly emerged leaves and flowers.
Many sunflower family species have flowers that turn as the day progresses to always face the sun. Called heliotropy, this maximizes the incoming heat that hastens the ripening of the seeds. This species mostly relies on native bees for pollination. A 2016 study identified 32 unique species of bees using arrowleaf balsamroot.
As the seeds are maturing, many native animals use the seeds for food, including deer mice and butterfly and moth larvae Once the flower petals fell off, Native Americans gathered ripe seeds that could be stored dry and later pounded into a flavorful flour.
Some windblown seeds escape being eaten and germinate and grow. It can take up to 10 years for a plant to produce its first flowers. As you walk in the shrub-steppe, look for young balsamoot plants and count the leaves as a proxy for estimating its age.
Arrowleaf balsamroot plants are rarely killed by wildfire, even after high intensity fires. Plants re-sprout the next growing season. It is easy to admire its fire resilience when walking the Balsamroot Trail in Wenatchee’s North Foothills. This area burned either 2012 or 2015 and some areas burned in both years.
7 different species (and 5 hybrids) of Balsamorhiza are native to Washington and three balsamoot species are commonly seen in Chelan and Douglas County: arrowleaf, Carey’s, and Hooker’s. Arrowleaf balsamroot grows in deeper soil with big sagebrush. Look for Carey’s balsamroot in sandier soils along the Columbia River, south of East Wenatchee. Look for Hooker’s balsamroot on rocky basalt where soil is minimal.
Here are a few more tips to tell them apart using leaf shape,and flower head patterns. However, hybrids between species are common where characteristics of two species are evident.
Students of all ages can learn more about arrowleaf balsamroot and its shrub-steppe habitat using curricula and lessons here. The Sagebrush Ecosystem Encyclopedia includes two-page narratives designed for middle-high school learners. The colorful BLM postcards help elementary to middle school students learn about shrub-steppe plants and animals. Learners of all ages can enjoy this printable set of tiny cards that focus on Central Washington’s shrub-steppe with images and brief text. More detailed information cards are here and feature our region’s flora and fauna. Coloring sheets for most of our native wildflowers are here. Check out wildflower identification resources and a bibliography of publications to explore.
Please adhere to practices that support and conserve native plants and habitats. Take photos and make drawing of flowers, leaving them in place for the next visitor to enjoy. Stay on trails to protect the soil that is vital for native plants. Learn about non-native weeds and how to control them in native habitats. Deepen your learning by joining your local chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society! With our help, the arrowleaf balsamroot plant you see blooming today will still be blooming 40 years from now.
They are so slow growing. I bought starts from Derby Canyon Natives. They might be 5 years older now, and still only have a couple leaves. I’ve tried to scatter seeds and had no luck with that at all. (Lupine on the other hand grows like a weed.)