Arrowleaf balsamroot is a widespread perennial arising from a deep, woody taproot. The leaves are numerous, primarily in a basal rosette. The arrowhead leaves are somewhat woolly or felt-like on both sides of the leaf. The wooliness of the leaves seems to be rather variable, as evidenced by the photos on this page. Younger leaves tend to be more silvery (see photo below), with older leaves appearing greener and more glabrate in age. The leaf margins are entire (smooth). The basal leaves are long-petioled with cordate leaf bases. They are up to to 30 cm long and 15 cm wide. The stems are few to numerous, ranging from 20-80 cm tall. They usually have several very reduced, narrow leaves on the stems. The flower heads tend to be solitary. The heads are large (10-12 cm wide) with 8-25 yellow rays (most commonly either 13 or 21) surrounding a darker disk. The rays are individually about 2.5-4 cm long. The involucre is fairly woolly-hairy. The involucral bracts are long and narrow, with outer ones slightly longer than the inner..
Arrow-leaf balsamroot is found on open hillsides and flats, usually in deep, well-drained soil, typically with big sagebrush or bunchgrass or in open woods.
Arrow-leaf balsamroot may be found from southern British Columbia, mostly east of the Cascades south to east-central California, east to Alberta and northern Arizona.
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Arrowleaf balsamroot as seen along forest service road 35 near the junction of road 3517, Wenatchee National Forest..........June 4, 2013.
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Additional close-up detail photos of arrowleaf balsamroot as seen along Oregon Highway 218 about 1 mile east of the summit between Fossil, OR and Clarno, OR.........May 16, 2010.
