Bitterroot
Lewisia rediviva
The species name 'rediviva' means 'reborn' because herbarium specimens collected by Meriwether Lewis actually grew and flowered after being dried and stored for months.
- Scientific name
- Lewisia rediviva
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Caryophyllales › Montiaceae › Lewisia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Gravelly or rocky soils, dry shrublands, sagebrush plains, and open montane pine forests.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthesis)
- Range
- Rocky Mountains, Great Basin, Pacific Northwest, Montana, British Columbia
- Size
- 1 to 3 inches tall, with flowers 1 to 2 inches wide.
- Lifespan
- Perennial (can live for over 20 years)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Invasive weed encroachment, urban expansion, and off-road vehicle recreation damaging fragile rocky soils.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. You can safely observe and photograph this low-growing wildflower up close. Avoid stepping on the delicate rosettes, as they grow in fragile, gravelly soils. Do not harvest wild plants, as their deep taproots are crucial for soil stability.
Bitterroot ( Lewisia rediviva ) is a small perennial herb in the Montiaceae family.
Photo: J Brew, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/de4fd794-e080-43cf-ad44-f74fdda320ba.md