Balsam Root

Balsamorhiza sagittata This bright yellow flower is the crowing jewel of spring on the east slope of the Cascade Mountains. In fact, it can be found from the east gate of the Columbia River Gorge all the way to Montana, down the Rockies through Idaho, Utah, and most of Nevada over to E. California. The basal leaves are the first part of the plant to be noticed as the ground thaws in late March/Early April. Then the soft, almost fuzzy, very green leaves unfurl and before long, the hillsides are exploding in a bonanza of yellow flowers. Being in a field of these flowers is truly amazing. After pollination the flowers drop there petals and the process of developing the small, brown, sunflower-like seeds begins.

All parts of the plant are useful. The roots are best harvested in the early spring and then again in the fall, once the rain comes back. A good rule of thumb is that if the ground is moist, then it may be a good time to harvest the root.

The leaves are best harvested when green and fresh. If you study the plant, you will notice that after flower production, the leaves turn a dull green, and then they get holes in them from insects. After the holes arrive, they are no longer good to harvest. But when the leaves are a nice, verdant, almost shiny green, then they are ready to be harvested (April, May and early June).

The seeds are best collected after midsummer night and you'll want to keep an eye on prospective harvesting sites as many of the bird communities will be doing the same. Balsam root is one of the first flowers to go to seed in large quantities, so you can bet that many other beings are watching them for the ripe moment to eat as well.

The root (tincture) is very useful for times of illness. It is an immune system booster as well an expectorant and disinfectant. It partners very well with Lomatium and Devil's Club and is a great ally plant to have for cold and flu season.

The leaves of the plant are good for burns and minor skin irritations and a poultice or an oil of the plant is very useful for the more common outdoor ailments such as sunburn and windburn.

I think one of the best medicines this plant has to offer is the experience of collecting it. The beauty of a field ablaze in the yellows of Balsam Root with the Meadowlarks singing in the background is something I have come to make an annual pilgrimage out of experiencing.

I had no problem looking for pictures of the flower on the web. Many people have photographed Balsam root and then posted in on the various photo web sites. But when it comes to finding info about the medicinal uses of the plant, the resources are few and far between.

Here is the most useful site I was able to find: Link. It is a great technical site from the United States Forest Service (USFS) and will certainly be valuable to anyone who really likes ecology. It was compiled during the glory days of the USFS (late 90's to early 2000's) when they had the time and budget to do something like this.

That's all for this week folks! Tune in next week when we'll work with another plant species and make some more medicine. Until then...Stay Outside!

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