American Bistort
Bistorta bistortoides
- Native to:
- Canada, Mexico, United States
Yellowstone National Park (www.flickr.com)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Polygonaceae
- Genus:
- Bistorta
- Species:
- Bistorta bistortoides
- USDA Symbol:
- POBI6
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 70 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- white, pink
Wildlife Benefits
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Mountain Fritillary (Boloria napaea), Titania's fritillary (Clossiana titania)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) Butterflies:Boisduval's Blue (Icaricia icarioides), ⚠️Edith's checkerspot (Euphydryas editha), Icaricia saepiolus
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, butterflies, small mammals
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts from deep rhizomes following fire; common in mountain meadows with periodic fire history.
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
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–42 days
- Notes:
- Requires cold stratification; surface sow as seeds need light for germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: None required
Source: npn.rngr.net