Balsam Root (Balsamorhiza hookeri)

Family: Asteraceae or Compositae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Balsamorhiza hookeri is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from May to June. 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.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Roots/Tubers

Harvest Seasons: Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

sweet and agreeable taste when cooked. — Root - raw or cooked.; A sweet and agreeable taste when cooked.; Seed - raw or cooked.; It can be ground into a powder and formed into cakes for eating raw or made into a bread.

Habitat & North American Range

Dry rock outcrops in foothills and lowlands. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)