Balsamorhiza sagittata

Taxonomy and growth

Family

Compositae

Genus

Balsamorhiza

Life cycle

perennial

Height

0.3 m

Fertility

Insects

Flower type

hermaphrodite

Pollinators

Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - raw or cooked^{[13][15][2][4][12]}. The root has a thick crown that is edible raw^[11]. Roots have a sweet taste when cooked^[7][6]. A long slow baking is best, the Flathead Indians would bake them in a fire pit for at least 3 days^[6]. The roots are resinous and woody with a taste like balsam^[10]. Young shoots - raw or cooked^[4][12]. Added to salads or used as a potherb^[6]. The large leaves and petioles are boiled and eaten^[9]. When eaten in large quantities they act like sleeping pills to cause sleepiness^[12]. The young flowering stem can be peeled and eaten raw like celery^[6][12]. Seed - raw or cooked^{[7][16][1][4]}. A highly prized source of food^[12]. It can be roasted, ground into a powder and used with cereals when making bread^[6][12]. The raw seed can also be ground into a powder then formed into cakes and eaten without cooking^[12]. The seed is rich in oil^[11]. Oil. The seed was a prized source of oil for many native North Americans^[12]. The roasted root is a coffee substitute^[5][6].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Oregon sunflower was quite widely employed as a medicinal herb by various native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints, but especially stomach problems^[12]. It is little used in modern herbalism. The root is antirheumatic, diuretic, cathartic, diaphoretic, febrifuge and vulnerary^[16][12]. An infusion of the leaves, roots and stems has been used as a treatment for stomach pains, colds, whooping cough, TB, fevers and headaches^[12]. A decoction of the root has been taken at the beginning of labour to insure easy delivery^[12]. The juice from the chewed root is allowed to trickle down the throat to treat sore mouths and throats whilst the root has also been chewed to treat toothaches^[12]. The smoke from the root has been inhaled as a remedy for body aches such as rheumatism^[12]. The root is chewed or pounded and used as a paste on wounds, blisters, bites, swellings and sores^[9][12]. A poultice made from the coarse, large leaves has been used to treat severe burns^[12]. An infusion of the leaves has been used as a wash for poison ivy rash and running sores^[12]. The seeds have been eaten as a treatment for dysentery^[12].

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The large hairy leaves are used as an insulation in shoes to keep the feet warm^[17]. An infusion of the root has been rubbed into the scalp to promote hair growth^[12].

Environment

Range

Western N. America - South Dakota to British Columbia, south to California and Colorado.

Habitat

Open hillsides and flat land up to moderate elevations, especially on deep soils^[14].

Light

full sun

Shade tolerance

no shade

Water

moderate

Hardiness

Zone 5+

Soil textures

sandy, loamy

Soil pH

acid, neutral, alkaline

Drainage

well drained

Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil

No

Drought

intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a deep fertile well-drained loam in full sun^[3][8]. Plants strongly resent winter wet^[3][8]. Hardy to at least -25°c^[8]. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and should be planted into their permanent positions whilst still small^[3]. They withstand heavy grazing in the wild^[10].

Related plants

• Balsamorhiza deltoideaDeltoid Balsamroot
• Balsamorhiza hookeriBalsam Root
• Balsamorhiza incanaHoary Balsamroot
• Achillea ageratumMace

References

1. Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences 1978-00-00

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2. Coon. N. The Dictionary of Useful Plants. Rodale Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-87857-090-x

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3. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988-00-00

   ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

4. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

   ↩1↩2↩3

5. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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6. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

   ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

7. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

   ↩1↩2

8. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

   ↩1↩2↩3

9. Coffey. T. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-8160-2624-6

   ↩1↩2

10. Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963-00-00 ISBN 63-7093

    ↩1↩2

11. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩1↩2

12. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10↩11↩12↩13↩14↩15↩16↩17↩18↩19

13. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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14. Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00

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15. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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16. Sweet. M. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co. 1962-00-00 ISBN 0-911010-54-8

    ↩1↩2

17. Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7

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