Oregon Sunflower, Arrowleaf balsamroot
Balsamorhiza sagittata

Family: Asteraceae or Compositae

What it is like

Balsamorhiza sagittata is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower in July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 0.3

Where it is found

Open hillsides and flat land up to moderate elevations, especially on deep soils.

Western N. America - South Dakota to British Columbia, south to California and Colorado.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Root - raw or cooked. The root has a thick crown that is edible raw. Roots have a sweet taste when cooked. A long slow baking is best, the Flathead Indians would bake them in a fire pit for at least 3 days. The roots are resinous and woody with a taste like balsam. Young shoots - raw or cooked. Added to salads or used as a potherb. The large leaves and petioles are boiled and eaten. When eaten in large quantities they act like sleeping pills to cause sleepiness. The young flowering stem can be peeled and eaten raw like celery. Seed - raw or cooked. A highly prized source of food. It can be roasted, ground into a powder and used with cereals when making bread. The raw seed can also be ground into a powder then formed into cakes and eaten without cooking. The seed is rich in oil. Oil. The seed was a prized source of oil for many native North Americans. The roasted root is a coffee substitute.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.

Coffee: the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee.

Medicine

Rating: 2

Oregon sunflower was quite widely employed as a medicinal herb by various native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints, but especially stomach problems. It is little used in modern herbalism. The root is antirheumatic, diuretic, cathartic, diaphoretic, febrifuge and vulnerary. An infusion of the leaves, roots and stems has been used as a treatment for stomach pains, colds, whooping cough, TB, fevers and headaches. A decoction of the root has been taken at the beginning of labour to insure easy delivery. The juice from the chewed root is allowed to trickle down the throat to treat sore mouths and throats whilst the root has also been chewed to treat toothaches. The smoke from the root has been inhaled as a remedy for body aches such as rheumatism. The root is chewed or pounded and used as a paste on wounds, blisters, bites, swellings and sores. A poultice made from the coarse, large leaves has been used to treat severe burns. An infusion of the leaves has been used as a wash for poison ivy rash and running sores. The seeds have been eaten as a treatment for dysentery.

Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.

Diaphoretic: Induces perspiration.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Odontalgic: Treats toothache (temporary measure only) and other problems of the teeth and gums.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Vulnerary: Promotes the healing of wounds.

Other

Rating: 2

The large hairy leaves are used as an insulation in shoes to keep the feet warm. An infusion of the root has been rubbed into the scalp to promote hair growth.

Hair: Plants used as hair shampoos, tonics, to treat balding etc.

Insulation: Providing insulation against extremes of temperature, sound or electricity.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Requires a deep fertile well-drained loam in full sun. Plants strongly resent winter wet. Hardy to at least -25°c. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and should be planted into their permanent positions whilst still small. They withstand heavy grazing in the wild. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. The root pattern is a tap root similar to a carrot going directly down.

Propagating it: 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.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Bupthalmium sagitattum.