Balsamorhiza sagittata

Balsamorhiza sagittata is native to the U.S. and is in the Asteraceae (Aster Family).
Photo Credit: Cory Maylett via Wikimedia Commons
Balsamorhiza sagittata
Common Name: arrowleaf balsamroot
Plant Functional Group: Forb
Class > Order > Family: Magnoliopsida > Asterales > Asteraceae
What does the species look like? Balsamorhiza sagittata is a multi-stemmed, perennial, erect, forb or herb that can reach 2 feet in height. Arrowleaf balsamroot has a woody taproot that can reach 8 feet in depth. Leaves are large, silvery-gray, hairy, and shaped like an arrowhead. Flowers are yellow and look like a sunflower. The fruit is a smooth, hairless, brown achene (a dry fruit enclosing a seed).   Balsamorhiza sagittata can be found growing in sandy plains, forest openings, valleys, foothills, woodlands, and mountain ranges. It prefers well drained, dry to moist soils, and full sun. Arrowleaf balsamroot is very drought tolerant. It occurs between 1,000 and 9,000 feet in elevation. The seeds of arrowleaf balsamroot are dispersed by wind and animals.   Deer, elk, game animals, sheep, and ground squirrels use Balsamorhiza sagittata as a food source. The flowers and developing seed heads are very palatable to wildlife and grazing animals.
Where is the species found?
States & Provinces
AB, AZ, BC, CA, CO, ID, MT, ND, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY
Special Considerations for Observing
If drought seems to be the cause of leaf color or fall for a plant, please make a comment to that effect.

The inflorescence of this plant is a composite flower of many smaller flowers (florets), forming a head. Please consider the entire flowering head as the flower rather than the individual florets.
Which phenophases should I observe?
Do you see...?
Leaves Initial growth
New growth of the plant is visible after a period of no growth (winter or drought), either from above-ground buds with green tips, or new green or white shoots breaking through the soil surface. Growth is considered "initial" on each bud or shoot until the first leaf has fully unfolded. For seedlings, "initial" growth includes the presence of the one or two small, round or elongated leaves (cotyledons) before the first true leaf has unfolded.
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Leaves
One or more live, fully unfolded leaves are visible on the plant. For seedlings, consider only true leaves and do not count the one or two small, round or elongated leaves (cotyledons) that are found on the stem almost immediately after the seedling germinates. Do not include fully dried or dead leaves.
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Flowers Flowers or flower buds
One or more fresh open or unopened flowers or flower buds are visible on the plant. Include flower buds or inflorescences that are swelling or expanding, but do not include those that are tightly closed and not actively growing (dormant). Also do not include wilted or dried flowers.
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How many flowers and flower buds are present? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), simply estimate the number of flower heads, spikes or catkins and not the number of individual flowers.

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • More than 1,000
Open flowers
One or more open, fresh flowers are visible on the plant. Flowers are considered "open" when the reproductive parts (male stamens or female pistils) are visible between or within unfolded or open flower parts (petals, floral tubes or sepals). Do not include wilted or dried flowers.
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What percentage of all fresh flowers (buds plus unopened plus open) on the plant are open? For species in which individual flowers are clustered in flower heads, spikes or catkins (inflorescences), estimate the percentage of all individual flowers that are open.

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Fruits Fruits
One or more fruits are visible on the plant. For Balsamorhiza sagittata, the fruit is very tiny and seed-like and is crowded into a large spent flower head. The seed-like fruit changes from yellow-green to tan or dark brown and drops from the plant. Do not include empty flower heads that have already dropped all of their fruits.
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How many fruits are present?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • More than 1,000
Ripe fruits
One or more ripe fruits are visible on the plant. For Balsamorhiza sagittata, a fruit is considered ripe when it has turned tan or dark brown and readily drops from the spent flower head when touched. Do not include empty flower heads that have already dropped all of their fruits.
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What percentage of all fruits (unripe plus ripe) on the plant are ripe?

  • Less than 5%
  • 5-24%
  • 25-49%
  • 50-74%
  • 75-94%
  • 95% or more
Recent fruit or seed drop
One or more mature fruits or seeds have dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit. Do not include obviously immature fruits that have dropped before ripening, such as in a heavy rain or wind, or empty fruits that had long ago dropped all of their seeds but remained on the plant.
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How many mature fruits have dropped seeds or have completely dropped or been removed from the plant since your last visit?

  • Less than 3
  • 3 to 10
  • 11 to 100
  • 101 to 1,000
  • More than 1,000
What do these phenophases look like?

There is currently no photoguide available for this species. If you'd like help us create one, use the guidance document and species template provided here. Then send it via email to education@usanpn.org when it is complete.

USDA PLANTS profile for arrowleaf balsamroot (USDA Symbol: BASA3 )