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Hooker's Balsamroot - Balsamorhiza hookeri
Other Names:
Balsamorhiza hispidula, Balsamorhiza hookeri var. hispidula
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
DRAFT: Requesting feedback on the 2026 revised rank, factors, and State Rank Reason outlined below and in the Conservation Status Rank Report.
Balsamorhiza hookeri is limited in distribution in Montana to two main areas in the state, Mt Haggin and southern Beaverhead County. Additional populations may occur in the southwestern portion of the state. The species generally occurs in habitats and landscapes that are intact and in good quality. Actual trends are unknown, though at least in the short-term, trends have likely been relatively stable, and the species does not appear to be experiencing any significant threats to its viability at this time.
General Description
Hooker's Balsamroot is a perennial with a leafless flowering stem 10-40 cm tall, arising from a carrot-like taproot. The basal leaves are 10-40 cm long and pinnately-divided into narrow segments. Foliage is pubescent with coarse, firm hairs. The solitary flower heads resemble those of a sunflower. The narrow involucral bracts are long-hairy, at least on margins. The 10-16 yellow rays are 1.5-3.5 cm long. The achene is glabrous.
Our plants are variety hispidula (Sharp) Cronquist
Phenology
Flowering in late June - early July.
Diagnostic Characteristics
Distinguished from Balsamorhiza incana and B. macrophylla by the rays mostly less than 3 cm long, and foliage with coarse, firm hairs.
Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
WA to MT south to CA, AZ and CO (Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 8
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)
Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
Sagebrush steppe.
National Vegetation Classification System Groups Associated with this Species
Shrubland
Sagebrush Shrubland
Grassland
Montane - Subalpine Grassland
Ecology
POLLINATORS The following animal species have been reported as pollinators of this plant species or its genus where their geographic ranges overlap:
Bombus appositus,
Bombus centralis,
Bombus fervidus,
Bombus nevadensis,
Bombus rufocinctus,
Bombus occidentalis, and
Bombus griseocollis (Thorp et al. 1983, Mayer et al. 2000, Koch et al. 2012).
Stewardship Responsibility
Threats or Limiting Factors
STATE THREAT SCORE REASON
Threat impact not assigned because threats are not known (MTNHP Threat Assessment 2021).
References
- Literature Cited AboveLegend:
View Online Publication
Koch, J., J. Strange, and P. Williams. 2012. Bumble bees of the western United States. Washington, DC: USDA Forest Service, Pollinator Partnership. 143 p.- Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 771 p.
- Mayer, D.F., E.R. Miliczky, B.F. Finnigan, and C.A. Johnson. 2000. The bee fauna (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of southeastern Washington. Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia 97: 25-31.
- MTNHP Threat Assessment. 2021. State Threat Score Assignment and Assessment of Reported Threats from 2006 to 2021 for State-listed Vascular Plants. Botany Program, Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, Montana.
- Thorp, R.W., D.S. Horning, and L.L. Dunning. 1983. Bumble bees and cuckoo bumble bees of California (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Bulletin of the California Insect Survey 23:1-79.
- Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?- Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
- Lesica, P., P. Husby, and S. V. Cooper. 1998. Noteworthy collections: Montana. Madrono 45:328-330.
- Quire, R.L. 2013. The sagebrush steppe of Montana and southeastern Idaho shows evidence of high native plant diversity, stability, and resistance to the detrimental effects of nonnative plant species. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 124 p.
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