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Arrowleaf Balsamroot
Balsamorhiza sagittata
Reviewed by Kiersten Rankel M.S.
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Direct sowing in autumn lets fresh seed get the cold winter it needs and produces seedlings the next spring, so it is the best home method.
Root cuttings work in late winter for a few extra plants but need a digging permit and risk damaging the parent. Transplanting wild plants is not viable because the deep taproot snaps and the plant rarely survives.
Root cuttings work in late winter for a few extra plants but need a digging permit and risk damaging the parent. Transplanting wild plants is not viable because the deep taproot snaps and the plant rarely survives.
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Direct sowing from fresh seed
Best for getting reliable germination on a tap-rooted native
Root cuttings
Best when you have a mature plant you can dig at
Direct sowing from fresh seed
Time
6–9 months to first leaves
Level
Beginner
Success rate
Moderate
You'll need
Fresh Balsamorhiza seed harvested the same season
Garden bed or deep root-trainer pots
Coarse sand or fine gravel for surface mulch
Hardware cloth or wire cover
Watering can with fine rose
1
Collect seed in early summer
Watch the dried flower heads in June and July. When the seeds turn dark and slip out with light pressure, harvest the whole head before the wind takes them. Fresh seed germinates much better than seed stored over a year.
2
Sow outdoors in October or November
Choose a sunny well-drained spot or use deep root-trainer pots at least 8 inches deep. Arrowleaf Balsamroot puts down a long taproot in its first year, so transplanting from shallow trays almost always fails.
3
Plant a quarter inch deep
Press each seed lightly into the soil and cover with a quarter inch of soil plus a thin layer of coarse sand. The sand keeps the surface from crusting over after winter rain and snowmelt.
4
Cover with hardware cloth against rodents
Pin a piece of wire mesh over the bed for the winter. Mice, voles, and quail target Balsamroot seed heavily, and an unprotected bed can be cleaned out before snow falls.
Remove the cloth in March before seedlings push through.
Remove the cloth in March before seedlings push through.
5
Let winter cold do the stratification
Leave the bed alone through winter. The seed needs at least 60 days of cold moist conditions to break dormancy. Snow cover is fine and even helpful, since it keeps the soil consistently cold.
6
Water sparingly when seedlings emerge
Cotyledons appear in April or May depending on snowmelt. Water only during true drought, since the seedling is sending most of its energy down into the taproot. Expect just one or two arrow-shaped true leaves the first year.
WATCH FOR
Seedlings emerging then disappearing overnight. That is rodent or rabbit grazing on the tender first leaves.
Replace the wire cover with a low-tunnel hardware cloth cage during emergence. Pull it off only after the seedlings put up their second true leaf, by which point the leaf has enough silver fuzz to be unappealing to most grazers.
Replace the wire cover with a low-tunnel hardware cloth cage during emergence. Pull it off only after the seedlings put up their second true leaf, by which point the leaf has enough silver fuzz to be unappealing to most grazers.
Root cuttings
Time
4–6 months
Level
Advanced
Success rate
Low
You'll need
Permission to dig (private land or licensed seed source)
Sharp spade and sterile pruners
Mature Balsamorhiza plant at least 5 years old
Deep pots filled with sandy free-draining mix
Sand or fine grit for top dressing
1
Dig in late winter while dormant
Wait for late February or early March before any leaves emerge. Drive a sharp spade in 12 to 18 inches from the crown and lever down. The taproot of an established plant goes 3 feet or more, so you will only get the upper portion.
2
Cut sections of the upper crown root
Slice 2 to 3 inch lengths from the upper part of the taproot, the section closest to the crown. Mark the top end of each piece with a flat cut and the bottom with an angled cut. Polarity matters because the wrong end up will not sprout.
3
Plant vertically in deep pots
Fill a pot at least 10 inches deep with a sandy, free-draining mix. Set each root section vertically with the flat-cut top about a half inch below the surface. Top with a quarter inch of sand to keep the surface dry.
4
Hold cool and barely moist
Place pots in a cold frame or sheltered north-side spot at 35 to 50 F. Water lightly only when the surface dries completely. Heavy watering at this stage rots the cuttings before they sprout.
Replant the parent immediately and water it well to limit transplant shock.
Replant the parent immediately and water it well to limit transplant shock.
5
Watch for spring shoots
By April or May, viable cuttings push a small green shoot from the cut top. Roots form along the buried length around the same time. Cuttings that show no shoot by late May are unlikely to recover.
6
Harden off and plant out the next spring
Grow rooted cuttings in their pots through the first full summer. Move pots into a sheltered outdoor spot in autumn and plant out the following spring once the new taproot has begun to bind the pot together.
WATCH FOR
Soft mushy sections at the top of the cutting where you expected a shoot. That is rot from excess moisture or from upside-down planting.
Verify the polarity of any remaining cuttings, swap to a sandier mix, and water far less. Root cuttings of arrowleaf are genuinely difficult and a 30 percent rate is a good outcome.
Verify the polarity of any remaining cuttings, swap to a sandier mix, and water far less. Root cuttings of arrowleaf are genuinely difficult and a 30 percent rate is a good outcome.
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About This Article
Kiersten Rankel M.S.
Botanical Data Lead at Greg · Plant Scientist
Editorial Process
Propagation methods verified against Balsamorhiza sagittata growth data from Greg's botanical database, cross-referenced with USDA hardiness zone data and published horticultural research.
USDA hardiness zones 3a–9b