The photo at right shows a close-up of the flower head of heartleaf arnica as seen on Mt. Adams..........May 2006.
Heartleaf arnica is deciduous perennial arising to a height of 10-60 cm from naked rhizomes. The stems are solitary, or occasionally several loosely clustered together. The stems are covered with minute glandular hairs, or loosely with white hairs (see photos). The 2-3 pairs of opposite, heart-shaped stem leaves. range from 4-12 cm long and 3-9 cm wide. The leaf margins are usually coarsely toothed, but may also be entire.
The flowers are found at the tips of the stems and are usually solitary, although it is possible that several could be clustered together. The flower heads have a yellow central disk surrounded by 10-15 yellow ray flowers. The tips of these ray flowers are pointed. Individual rays are 1.5-3 cm long. The involucre is 13-20 mm tall and sparsely to thickly covered with long white, spreading hairs.
Native Americans used flowers steeped in water as a salve for wounds or cuts. The flowers may be grazed by sheep and horses.
Heartleaf arnica is found in wooded places, often under Oregon oaks or ponderosa pine.
Heartleaf arnica is widely distributed over the west in its habitat.
In the Columbia River Gorge, it is found at elevations between 400'-3900' from the Little White Salmon River in the west and the Columbia Hills to the north of The Dalles, OR.
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