Chris Sokol
I fell in love with these showy yellow sunflowers after moving to our home in Stacker Butte. A key inspiration for learning all I could about Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittate) is from our local jewel of wildflower knowledge and preservation in our area, Barbara Robinson. She is an accomplished university academic as well as being an educator for the Oregon Master Naturalist program. She is also one of the reasons we have open, natural areas of land containing these beautiful wildflowers, due to her efforts acquiring land for conservation going back to the 1970’s; these efforts have been well documented through The Friends of the Columbia Gorge, The Discovery Center in The Dalles and The Klickitat Trail Conservatory. She is also the reason we now have Balsamroot growing in our local areas, such as Catherine Creek and surrounding the Discovery Center. She personally taught me the art of seed collecting, planting and continuing the tradition of land preservation.
The Balsamroot is one of Barbara’s favorite flowers. She has developed a specific technique to gather seed heads (early, when seed heads first begin to nod or bend down after bloom), to separate chaff from seeds (using brown bags with seed heads and shaking vigorously) and then using a fan and white sheets technique for final separation. She determines viable seeds by experience and touch. Techniques for replanting involve simple scraping a few inches of earth, dropping seeds and covering them by foot. This process increases germination significantly and she is conducting experiments to further increase germination.
More fun facts on these beautiful sunflowers…
Another name for this Aster plant is Oregon Sunflower. For history lovers, the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1806 collected the first specimens near the White Salmon River. They can be found growing in open fields without shade in cold, dry areas west of Colorado, west to the Sierra Nevada, and into Canada. Today this eye candy brings visitors far and near for viewing of these beauties… They have been an important food source to Native American groups, shared during ceremonial meals and daily life.
They have taproots of up to 8 feet long and 4 inches wide which are harvested, dried, and ground into a starchy flour. Wildlife and livestock also enjoy eating this plant, so you won’t see many flowers in pastures with active grazing. The entire plant can be eaten. The seeds are a protein source when pounded into flour. The leaves can also be used to wrap around other foods when cooked over a fire. The flavor is described as “piney”. The stems of immature plants can be cut and stripped to munch as a trail snack with a celery consistency. The young shoots make a good seasoning for stew. The leaves have antiseptic qualities so they can be used as a band aid (poultice) if you burn or cut yourself or have blisters. The roots can be boiled for a tea used to treat such ailments as rheumatism, whopping cough and headaches. The root has also been used as a coffee substitute! The Balsam portion of the name refers to the resin in the root.
Arrowleaf Balsamroot has an anxcient spiritual meaning associated with flowing energy and themes of strength, resilience, and enduring beauty for its ability to thrive in harsh environments.
The plant was once widespread throughout open arid meadows and now remains a testament to undisturbed healthy soils.
Hillsides covered with these flowers and perennial bunchgrasses and sagebrush can quickly become wastelands of cheatgrass and tumble mustard if cattle or other stock overgraze, consuming the herb and its energy reserves.
Arrowleaf Balsamroot gained its name because of its leaf shape, which is triangular and pointed. It grows very slowly, taking appropriately 7 years to develop from seed to flower when germinating in a positive environment. They bloom from spring to early summer depending on the elevation. While individual flowers are not particularly fragrant, a sunlit field has a spicy, chocolaty aroma. It is a perennial, and during the winter you can see the lifeless leaves in the High Prairie that may crunch under foot.
Dreams of these joyful sunflowers covering our open prairie help us endure our cold winter months. We can also plant our saved seeds during these fall and winter months, knowing in 7 plus years there will be more Balsamroot for us all to enjoy!