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Montiaceae
Bitterroot
Lewisia rediviva
Endurance and quiet revival.
- Family
- Montiaceae
- Genus
- Lewisia
- Native to
- western North America
- Bloom season
- Late Spring, Early Summer
- Type
- succulent perennial
- Height
- 5–10 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- very gritty, sharply drained
- Water
- very low
- Hardiness
- 4–8
- Lifespan
- long-lived perennial
Did you know
- It is the official state flower of Montana and the namesake of the Bitterroot Mountains and River.
- Lewis and Clark collected herbarium specimens that revived after years pressed dry — hence 'rediviva' (revived).
- Its starchy roots were a critical food for Salish, Nez Perce, and other Plateau peoples, traded as far as the coast.
- The fleshy strap-like leaves wither away just before the flowers appear, leaving the blooms seemingly unattached.
- A whole plant can survive an entire summer dry in a museum drawer and still root again when watered.
Color meanings
Pink
tender resilience
White
pristine survival