Common Name: Deltoid Balsamroot

General Information

Balsamorhiza deltoidea is a herbaceous, perennial plant growing from a taproot. The leaves are mainly basal, up to 25cm long with flowering stems up to 90cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Western N. America - British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California

Habitat

Open places but not on thin soils[]. Open hillsides, openings in chaparral or forests; at elevations from 60 - 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Balsamorhiza deltoidea is hardy to at least -25°c[].
Requires a deep fertile well-drained loam in full sun[, ]. Plants strongly resent winter wet[, ].
Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and should be planted into their permanent positions whilst still small[].
Hybridizes in the wild with Balsamorhiza careyana[].

Edible Uses

Root - raw or cooked[, , , , ]. A sweet taste when cooked[].
The roasted root is a coffee substitute[].

Young shoots - raw[, , ].

Seed - raw or cooked. It can be ground into a powder and made into a bread[, , ]. The ground seeds can be formed into cakes and eaten raw[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the split roots has been used in the treatment of coughs and colds[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 6 days at 18°c. Either sow the seed in individual pots or pot up the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer[].
Division in spring. Very difficult since the plant strongly resents root disturbance[]. It is probably best to take quite small divisions, or basal cuttings, without disturbing the main clump. Pot these up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in the greenhouse until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the summer if they have grown sufficiently, otherwise over-winter them in the greenhouse and plant out in late spring.