Balsamorhiza hirsuta

Hairy balsam root

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Hairy balsam root is a native perennial found in the Modoc Plateau in sagebrush scrub, open forest, and dry meadows at elevations of 1,000 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces yellow ray flowers up to 4 centimeters long with distinctive heads. Growing with stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall that are densely glandular and sparsely long-haired, it forms a robust basal rosette. Its basal leaves are large, 15 to 30 centimeters long, with lanceolate to elliptic blades that are deeply pinnately lobed and divided into narrow linear segments, creating a distinctive feathery appearance. The plant's dense glandular and strigose leaf surfaces give it a distinctive textured, slightly bristly character.

Habitat: Sagebrush scrub, open forest, dry meadows

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 1000-1800 m

Bioregions: MP

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.