Photograph from Lewis and Clark Herbarium/Academy of Natural Sciences
Western Snakeweed (Western Bistort, American Bistort)
Polygonum bistortoides
June 12, 1806, on the Weippe Prairie, Idaho.
At tops of slender, erect, reddish stems bloom dense white or pale pink flower clusters 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) long; individual flowers less than 0.3 in (0.8 cm) long. Height: 8-28 in (20-70 cm).
Moist mountain meadows or along mountain streams.
Western Canada southward to southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
One of the most common mountain wildflowers, sometimes covering meadows with thousands of clusters of white flowers. The stout roots were once prepared by Native Americans for food.
