Balsamorhiza sericea

Silky balsamroot

Family: Asteraceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Silky balsamroot is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the eastern Klamath Ranges in Siskiyou and Trinity counties, growing on serpentine outcrops and rocky slopes at elevations of 400 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces yellow sunflower-like ray flowers 1.5 to 3 centimeters long with prominent disk centers. Growing with stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall, it forms a distinctive basal cluster with silvery-gray foliage. Its basal leaves are 10 to 30 centimeters long, lanceolate to elliptic, with finely divided lobes covered in a soft, silvery canescent pubescence that gives the plant its distinctive silky appearance. The plant produces ray flowers with broadly ovate phyllaries that have wide, flat tips, creating a delicate yet robust botanical display.

Habitat: Serpentine outcrops, rocky slopes

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 400-1800 m

Bioregions: e KR (Siskiyou, Trinity cos.)

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