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Northern Idaho biscuitroot

Lomatium orientale

Also called Eastern Cous, Eastern Desert Parsley, Eastern Lomatium, Northern Idaho Biscuit Root, Oriental Desert Parsley, Plains Biscuit Root, White Flowered Desert Parsley

Northern Idaho biscuitroot
Photo: MtBotany, CC BY-SA 4.0
Family
Apiaceae (Carrot family)
Grows as
Perennial
Native range
C. Canada to WC. & C. U.S.A.
Climate
temperate

About

Lomatium orientale, commonly known as salt-and-pepper, oriental desert parsley, or Northern Idaho biscuitroot, is a small spring blooming ephemeral plant. It grows in open habitats from the plains to foothills in western North America. It is known as one of the earliest blooming native flowers in its habitat.

How to grow it

Though hardy and early blooming salt-and-pepper flowers are not commonly grown in gardens. Its flowers are not showy and both seeds and plants are rarely available in the horticulture trade. It is recommended by the City of Fort Collins for its very low water usage and for its value as a food source for insects.

Where it grows

Lomatium orientale grows in open habitats such as hillsides, rocky slopes, and sagebrush meadows. It can be found on both plains and in lower foothills. In mountain habitats it shows a moderate preference for seasonally moist slopes.

Other Lomatium plants

Wyeth biscuitroot · Plumas lomatium · Wasatch desertparsley · Bradshaw's desertparsley · Brandegee's desertparsley · California lomatium · Canby's biscuitroot · Alkali desertparsley · Yolla Bolly biscuitroot · Purple leptotaenia · Mariposa desertparsley · Agate desertparsley

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Lomatium orientale by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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