bitterroot
Pink alpine perennial
Bitterroot is a low-growing plant native to western North America, with showy pink or white flowers and a starchy, edible root.
The root tastes intensely bitter when raw but was a traditional food source for Indigenous peoples.
Montana is the Bitterroot State, and the Bitterroot Mountains straddle the Idaho-Montana border.
Recurring each year
- succulentMoist and flavorful
- herbaceousHaving soft green stems
- rhizomeHorizontal underground plant stem
- rosetteCircular ribbon ornament
alpine · drought-tolerant · native · wildflower · groundcover · xeriscaping · rock garden · taproot
Montana's seat of government
- MissoulaWestern Montana university town
- Big SkyMontana's scenic identity
- state flowerOfficial bloom of territory
- Lewis and ClarkEarly 1800s expedition leaders
Salish · Rocky Mountains · Continental Divide · Glacier National Park
Official bloom of territory
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
- enduranceSustained effort capacity
- hardinessAbility to endure adversity
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
Flower or flourishing state
- showyExcessively eye-catching
- rose-coloredPinkish or overly hopeful
- white petalsColorless flower segments
- satinySmooth and lustrous
ornamental · delicate · radiant · ephemeral · pollinator · nectar · blossom
Containing complex carbohydrates
- foragedSought wild food
- traditional foodCuisine from cultural ancestry
- peeledStripped of outer layer
- boiledHeated until bubbling
perennial
Recurring each year
- succulentMoist and flavorful
- herbaceousHaving soft green stems
- rhizomeHorizontal underground plant stem
rosette · alpine · drought-tolerant · native · wildflower · groundcover · xeriscaping · rock garden · taproot · fleshy leaves
Helena
Montana's seat of government
- MissoulaWestern Montana university town
- Big SkyMontana's scenic identity
- state flowerOfficial bloom of territory
Lewis and Clark · Salish · Rocky Mountains · Continental Divide · Glacier National Park
state flower
Official bloom of territory
- resilienceCapacity to recover quickly
- enduranceSustained effort capacity
- hardinessAbility to endure adversity
survival · tenacity · adaptation · native heritage · Meriwether Lewis
bloom
Flower or flourishing state
- showyExcessively eye-catching
- rose-coloredPinkish or overly hopeful
- white petalsColorless flower segments
satiny · ornamental · delicate · radiant · ephemeral · pollinator · nectar · blossom
starchy
Containing complex carbohydrates
- foragedSought wild food
- traditional foodCuisine from cultural ancestry
- peeledStripped of outer layer
boiled · dried · nutritious · survival food · wild harvest
- Northwest Florasagebrush, Douglas fir, salal, western hemlock, huckleberry
- Western Plantssagebrush, juniper, Douglas fir, manzanita, Joshua tree
- state symbolsstate flag, state bird, state flower, state tree, state animal
- mountain plantsalpine meadow, gentians, edelweiss, Indian paintbrush, mountain pine
- apocynumdogbane
- Great Basin peoplesPaiute, Bannock, Washoe, Ute, Great Basin
bitterrootsweet potato
Orange-fleshed edible tuber
honey · sugar · licorice root · stevia
root, bitter, rooted, bitterness, bitterly, embitter, bittersweet, embittered, rootlet