Alpine Bistort

Bistorta vivipara

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Polygonaceae
Genus:
Bistorta
Species:
Bistorta vivipara

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
1-2 ft
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
apr
Bloom Colors:
White
Ground Cover:
Yes

Native Range

United States: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wyoming, Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon

Host Plant for Caterpillars

⚠️Bog Fritillary (Clossiana eunomia), dingy fritillary (Clossiana improba), Mountain Fritillary (Boloria napaea), Titania's fritillary (Clossiana titania)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
moist, well-drained, rocky or sandy soil
pH:
5.0 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
commonly found in alpine and subalpine regions

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).; then Cold-moist stratification for 60 days.

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o