American Bistort
Bistorta bistortoides
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Polygonaceae
- Genus:
- Bistorta
- Species:
- Bistorta bistortoides
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 2-3 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- may, jun, jul, aug
- Bloom Colors:
- White
Native Range
United States: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Canada: Alberta, British Columbia
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Mountain Fritillary (Boloria napaea), Titania's fritillary (Clossiana titania)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Red-belted bumble bee (Bombus rufocinctus), Sitka bumble bee (Bombus sitkensis), Sitka bumble bee (Bombus sitkensis), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Prefers alpine and subalpine meadows
Germination Information
Pre-treatment: None required
Source: npn.rngr.net