Bitterroot
Lewisia cotyledon
According to the USDA website, it’s native to California and Oregon. We like to say it comes from rocky soils in the Siskiyou Mountains, also known as serpentine soils, a barren type of rocky soil that is poisonous to most other plants. The tuber is edible, though not delicious, hence it’s common name, “bitterroot”.
The USDA also had this to say about the lewisia:
Symbol: LECO5 Group: Dicot Family: Portulacaceae Duration: Perennial Growth Habit: Forb/herb Native Status:
L48 N
Good to know.
Did I mention they have very pretty flowers? And if you dead-head them they will rebloom up to 6 times a year. We had one that sent out continuous new bloom spikes all year long. And then we dug it up and sold it.
If you let it set seed, then it won’t bloom again for the year.
