Balsamohiza sagittata - Balsamroot

Balsamroot is a hardy, long-lived perennial with large, golden-yellow, daisy-like flowers that brighten dry grasslands, foothills, and open forests from late spring into early summer. Its silvery-green, arrow-shaped leaves form a low, sprawling rosette that contrasts beautifully with tall flowering stems. Though slow to establish ”often taking 4 to 5 years to bloom” it becomes highly drought-tolerant once mature, offering both resilience and visual impact in natural landscapes.

Thriving in well-drained soils, Balsamroot is ideal for dryland plantings, erosion control, and naturalized meadows. Its deep taproot, which may reach several meters underground, enables it to endure drought and thrive in poor soils, making it a keystone species in semi-arid ecosystems. Often found in prairies, foothills, and montane regions, it grows in open pine forests, on rocky outcrops, and exposed slopes. While young leaves may be browsed in early spring, mature plants are generally avoided due to their coarse texture and bitter compounds.