Bitterroot
Lewisia rediviva
Bitterroot, Montana's state flower, opens improbably large satiny rose-pink flowers nearly at ground level after its leaves wither. A drought-dormant treasure of dry, gravelly western slopes; roots were a food staple. Montana's state flower had an edible taproot that was a genuine staple food, boiled until soft and jelly-like — bitter unless harvested at just the right early-spring moment, and tedious to gather in quantity.
- Family
- Montiaceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 0.1–0.3 ft
- Spacing
- 0.3–0.5 ft apart
- Light
- part shade
- Soil moisture
- moist
- Soil pH
- neutral
- Bloom
- March, April, May, June
- Bloom colors
- white, pink
- Wildlife value
- pollinators
- Landscape uses
- container
- Native states
- AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY