Mountain Meadow Harmony

For my first post on the notable flora of the American West, I have chosen to write about lupine and arrowleaf balsamroot. They are often companion species found blooming together throughout much of the West. In my opinion, lupine is the wildflower that most represents the American West. Arrowleaf balsamroot would not be far behind.

Widespread throughout the American West, these two plants have overlapping ranges. It is hard to imagine a scene more beautiful than a meadow filled with lupine and arrowleaf balsamroot in full bloom. The stunning combination of purple-blue lupine flowers and large yellow balsamroot flowers blend in perfect visual harmony providing a feast for the eyes. Photo worthy for sure!

The lupines you will most likely see are silvery lupine (Lupinus argentus) and silky lupine (Lupinus sericeus), both members of the pea family. Both species have color variations including, blue, purple, white, and even pink and the flowers occur on spikes. The plants are usually from two to three and a half feet tall.  

Arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) is a member of the sunflower family. Don’t worry, there won’t be a test on the scientific names. It has large, yellow, showy blooms up to four inches across growing on the ends of long stems.  Its large leaves are arrow-shaped, thus the name. The plants are usually one to three feet tall.  It thrives in a greater range of habitats than the lupines and can be found from foothills to parts of the sub-alpine zone.

These plants typically bloom at elevations from 3,000 to 8,000 ft. starting as early as mid-May and continuing until at least mid-August. Elevation with corresponding temperatures and moisture play a role in the timing of the bloom, so it may vary somewhat from year to year and from place to place.

When lupine and arrowleaf balsamroot exist together in full bloom, the result is nothing short of spectacular. Their attention-grabbing displays can be encountered in many places in the West, if your timing is right. Some suggestions for locations include San Juan Mountains, Colorado; Glacier National Park, Montana; Mount Rainier National Park, Washington; Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming; Uintah Mountains, Utah; Lassen Volcanic National Park, California; and Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho.  The displays embedded in my memory are those in the expansive subalpine meadows (known as parks) in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming. When you encounter a mountain meadow filled with these two beautiful wildflowers, I would suggest you take time to stop, walk among the flowers, and savor the wonder of it all!