Balsamorhiza, commonly known as balsamroots, is a genus of about 13 species of perennial flowering plants in the sunflower family (Asteraceae), order Asterales. The genus is endemic to western North America, where its members grow across the Mountain West of the United States and into southwestern Canada.
Plants in this genus are robust perennials that grow from deep, fleshy taproots and woody caudices. They produce large, mostly basal leaves and tall, erect flowering stems topped by showy, yellow, sunflower-like flower heads. The common name "balsamroot" refers to the strongly pine-scented, resinous sap produced by the roots and foliage. Balsamroots are frequently confused with the closely related genus Wyethia (mule's ears), but can be distinguished by their sharply pointed leaves, which lack the silvery-gray hairiness characteristic of Wyethia.
The most widespread member of the genus is Balsamorhiza sagittata (arrowleaf balsamroot), which ranges across much of the western United States and into British Columbia and Alberta. Other notable species include B. deltoidea (deltoid balsamroot) along the Pacific coast from British Columbia to California, and B. hookeri (Hooker's balsamroot) across the Great Basin and Pacific Northwest. The genus includes two nothospecies (natural hybrids).
Balsamroots are important forbs in sagebrush-steppe and dry mountain-meadow ecosystems. They are palatable to wildlife and livestock, and their abundance is used as an indicator of rangeland health — declining populations often signal overgrazing.
Etymology
The genus name Balsamorhiza derives from the Greek words balsamon (balsam, resin) and rhiza (root), referring to the strongly resinous, pine-scented taproot that characterizes all members of the genus.
Distribution
Balsamroots are native to western North America, ranging from British Columbia and Alberta south through much of the western United States. They are found primarily in the Mountain West, growing on dry hillsides, open meadows, and sagebrush-steppe habitats. Balsamorhiza sagittata is the most widespread species; other species have more restricted ranges in the Pacific Northwest, Great Basin, and California.
Ecology
Balsamroots grow on dry hillsides and open meadows throughout the Mountain West, often in association with perennial bunchgrasses and sagebrush. They are palatable to both wildlife and livestock, but are sensitive to overgrazing — repeated defoliation depletes taproot energy reserves and can eliminate local populations. The presence and abundance of balsamroots is regarded as an indicator of range health; their disappearance, as has occurred in parts of the Snake River Plains, signals pasture over-utilization and often leads to replacement by invasive annuals such as cheatgrass.
Cultural Uses
Native Americans used multiple parts of balsamroot plants as food and medicine. The large taproots, particularly of Balsamorhiza sagittata, were harvested, dried, and ground into a starchy flour used when other food sources were scarce. The entire plant is edible, though the above-ground parts are bitter due to resinous sap. The sticky sap was also applied topically as an antiseptic for minor wounds.
