Balsamorhiza incana Hoary Balsamroot PFAF Plant Database

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Balsamorhiza incana - Nutt.

Common Name

Hoary Balsamroot

Family

Asteraceae or Compositae

Synonyms

B. floccosa. B. hookeri incana.

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Meadows and other moderately moist to moderately dry open places[60].

Range

North-western N. America

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

Balsamorhiza incana is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.9 m (3ft).
It is hardy to zone 5. It is in flower in July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.

Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.


http://www.nps.gov

Habitats
Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Root. Edible Uses: Root - raw or cooked[105, 161, 177]. The thick root can be eaten raw[257]. Seed - raw or cooked. It can be ground into a powder and made into a bread.

Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally. Analgesic; Stomachic. A decoction of the leaves, roots and stems has been used in the treatment of stomach pains and colds and as a steam bath for treating headaches[257].

Other Uses
None known

Cultivation details
Requires a deep fertile well-drained loam in full sun[134, 200]. Plants strongly resent winter wet[134, 200]. Hardy to at least -25°c[200]. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and should be planted into their permanent positions whilst still small[134].

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[134]. Division in spring. Very difficult since the plant strongly resents root disturbance[134]. 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.

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Expert comment

Author
Nutt.

Botanical References
60200

Links / References

[60]Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest.

A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.

[105]Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.

The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[134]Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2.

Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.

[161]Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237.

A comprehensive but very terse guide. Not for the casual reader.

[177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.

An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[257]Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany

Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers comment

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