Arrowleaf Balsamroot
Balsamorhiza sagittata
Habitat: Open hillsides and prairies; low to middle elevations east of the Cascade Crest

Indigenous Foods

Carbohydrates are essential for everyone's diet. Bread, corn, potatoes and sweets make eating a joy. Native peoples, who lived on the drier east side of the Cascades, used a special plant of the sunflower family to satisfy some of their carbohydrate needs.

The large root, young leaves, budstalks and seeds of the arrowleaf balsamroot were used as food by many groups. Tap roots were collected and pounded until the bark fell off. Then the insides were piled in roasting pits atop their leaves and cooked for over 24 hours. After cooking, a sweet meal was uncovered from the pits and was eaten as a dessert. Young leaves and budstalks were eaten right off the plant—until the plant matured and the vegetation became bitter. Seeds were eaten fresh or dried for storage or trade.

Not only have humans used arrowleaf, but deer, elk and other animals depend on the leaves and shoots for spring and summer browse.

What plants did the native people use as carbohydrates in your area?

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