Forbs
The Aase's onion, (Allium aaseae), is a rare, low-growing plant with pink flowers, endemic in the Boise to Emmett foothills. It's a conservation concern due to its limited range and habitat loss, primarily found in sandy, well-drained slopes within bitterbrush or bitterbrush-big sagebrush communities.
The annual sunflower, (Helianthus annuus), is a common flowering plant in the daisy family, known for its large, yellow flower heads and edible seeds used for oil and snacks. The annual sunflower is primarily pollinated by insects, with bees being the most important. This plant is native to North America, brought into and cultivated in Idaho.
Arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) is a very long-lived perennial forb native to western North America, known for its large, silvery arrowhead-shaped leaves and striking yellow, sunflower-like flowers that bloom in the spring. It is a vital early-spring forage and cover source for deer, and small mammals, as well as being a food source for birds and rodents, and a pollinator magnet.
Bastard toadflax (Comandra umbellata) is a hemiparasitic plant that thrives in dry, rocky areas, attaching to the roots of other plants for nutrients while also photosynthesizing. Native Americans used the edible berries on this plant for food and medicinal purposes. The root stain blue when cut for dye. Several insects, including flies, bees, beetles, and butterflies, seek the nectar of the small white flowers.
Blue-eyed Mary, (Collinsia parviflora), is a tiny, annual wildflower with tiny, blue and white flowers. It typically has spindly, reddish stems and narrow, lance-shaped leaves that curl under at the edges. It is particularly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other insects.
Blue Mountain buckwheat, (Eriogonum strictum), is a mat-forming perennial with cream, pink, or yellow blossoms that emerge from a slender, often woolly stalk above a rosette of elliptic-shaped, densely-felted foliage, typically found in sandy or loamy soils. This plant is a vital food source and habitat for various wildlife, including native bees, butterflies, and other small mammals and birds that consume its seeds.
False yarrow (Chaenactis douglasii) is a beautiful wildflower with cottony, lacy pinnate leaves tolerant of harsh, dry conditions. The plant blooms from March to June, displaying white, pink, or pale yellow disk flowers in a dense, round cluster. False yarrow can be found in various habitats, including sagebrush desert flats and ponderosa pine forest openings.
Fiddleneck (Amsinckia species) are wildflowers that are native to western North America and are characterized by their distinctive yellow-orange, trumpet-shaped flowers that grow on a hairy, coiled, fiddleneck-shaped stem. A mature plant can grow up to 36 inches in height and have hundreds of flowers during its blooming period from March to May. These plants can survive in harsh, disturbed areas.
Gray's biscuitroot (Lomatium grayi) is a perennial herb in the parsley family known for its strong, parsley-like odor and edible, starchy roots. The leaves are divided into many segments and flowers have an umbrella-like top. It's a vital forage plant for various animals, including livestock, antelope, deer, and insects, especially in early spring. And it is pollinated by flies.
Hoary tansyaster (Machaeranthera canescens) is a perennial herb native to western and central North America, characterized by its pale to dark purple flowers, diffuse branching, and sticky, resinous stems and leaves. It’s a valuable, hardy late-season flowering forb that is visited by bees, wasps, butterflies, and bee flies.
Hood's phlox (Phlox hoodii), also known as spiny phlox or carpet phlox, is a perennial, mat-forming plant native to western North America. It prefers rocky, dry habitats. It's characterized by its small, needle-like leaves, compact growth habit, and small, white to pinkish-lavender flowers that bloom in the spring. It attracts pollinators like butterflies and moths.
Longleaf phlox (Phlox longifolia) is a native perennial wildflower known for its vibrant, condensed pink or white flowers, typically blooming in spring. It's a low-growing plant from 4 to 12 inches tall, often found in dry, open habitats like hillsides and rocky areas. Longleaf phlox attracts various pollinators, including bumble bees, honey bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Long spur lupine (Lupinus arbustus) is a native wildflower, a perennial in the pea family, known for its showy yellow to purplish flowers in spring, often seen growing with balsamroot for a striking display. It inhabits the sagebrush steppe and prefers full sun to partial shade. Lupine is favored by bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Low pussytoes (Antennaria dimorpha) is a small, mat-forming perennial herb native to western North America. It features spoon-shaped leaves coated in long, gray hairs and small, upright white flower clusters. It serves as a host plant for the American painted lady butterfly caterpillars.
Meadow death camas (Zigadenous venenosus) is a perennial bulbous native forb in the lily family. It can grow up to 2 feet tall, with grass-like leaves and cream-colored flowers. All parts of the plant are poisonous, and it can be confused with edible onions. Meadow death camas regenerates after fire and is often found on overgrazed sites.
Mulford's milkvetch (Astragalus mulfordiae) is a rare, flowering and low-growing, perennial forb native to the western Snake River Plain in southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon. The plant has several pairs of green leaflets on what appears to mostly be bare stems with white or cream-colored flowers. It is also in the legume family.
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Munro's globemallow (Sphaeralcea munroana) is a medium sized native perennial wildflower with a woody, branching crown and a taproot. It's known for its profuse displays of bright orange flowers and silvery-green, 3-5 lobed, spade-shaped leaves. It can tolerate extremely dry, disturbed sites and is an excellent restoration plant.
Nineleaf biscuitroot (Lomatium triternatum), is a hardy perennial plant in the parsley family. It's characterized by its highly dissected leaves, yellow flowers in umbels. It also has an edible root. It is a valuable forage plant for various animals, especially during the early spring when it's one of the first plants to emerge.
Pale evening primrose (Oenothera pallida) is a perennial wildflower native to North America, known for its showy, white flowers with yellow centers and a sweet almond fragrance. It's a drought-tolerant plant, thriving in sunny conditions and well-drained soils, making it suitable for erosion control. The plant attracts bees, moths and butterflies.
Penstemon (Penstemon species) are some of the showiest, perennial wildflowers native to the western North America. They are characterized by erect stems, narrow, linear leaves, and light blue to blue-purple to lavender flowers with a distinctive hairy beard at the mouth of the snapdragon-like flower.
Woollypod or Pursh's Milkvetch (Astragalus purshii) is a native perennial forb in the pea family. It's characterized by its small size, densely matted growth, and woolly white hairs giving it a silvery appearance. The plant has compound leaves with many clusters of pink, purple, or white flowers. The fruit is a legume pod, also densely covered in white wooly hairs. It is one of the earliest flowers to bloom in the spring in the Boise Foothills.
Sagebrush buttercup (Ranunculus glaberimmus) is a small, low-growing perennial wildflower that blooms very early in the spring. The flowers have 5 shiny, yellow petals, and the plant has fleshy, basal leaves that can be smooth or lobed. It's typically found under larger shrubs like sagebrush and bitterbrush. The sagebrush buttercup is a common food source for the dusky grouse, but it's also poisonous to others.
Scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata) is a striking wildflower known for its vibrant red, trumpet-shaped flowers and fern-like leaves. The plant's long, narrow floral tube is well suited for pollination by hummingbirds. The plant is biennial and blooms in the second summer, then dies. It can be found in the sagebrush steppe and mountains.
The Sagebrush mariposa lily (Calochortus macrocarpus) is native plant to the western United States and is known for its edible bulbs. It was a food source for Native Americans and early Mormon pioneers. The plant has a delicate, tulip-like appearance with pale purplish flowers. The sweet and nutritious bulbs can be ground into a flour to make bread or eaten raw or cooked. The bulbs are a food source for rodents like pocket gophers.
Silverleaf phacelia (Phacelia hastata) is a perennial wildflower known for its dense, tightly coiled clusters of white to lavender-colored flowers, often resembling a scorpion's tail. It's a native plant to western North America and thrives in dry, rocky, or disturbed soils. Silverleaf phacelia is also a valuable pollinator plant, attracting bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects.
Smoothstem Blazingstar, (Mentzelia laevicaulis) is a biennial or perennial forb, up to 3 feet tall, native to western North America. It features large, lemon-yellow, star-like flowers and sticky, wavy-margined leaves. The plant typically blooms from late spring to fall. It is drought tolerant and can grow on dry, rocky sites. Its flowers provide nectar and pollen for various pollinators like bees, butterflies, and moths.
Tapertip hawksbeard (Crepis acuminata) is a perennial forb native to the western United States, known for its milky sap and distinctive, long, gray-green leaves that are deeply lobed. It typically grows 10 to 33 inches tall, with one to several stems. The plant produces numerous yellow, ray-like flowers in open clusters. It is a valuable food source to for sage grouse and wild ungulates (hooved mammals).
Tapertip onion (Allium acuminatum) is a perennial plant in the onion family with a distinctive onion smell. It is native to North America and is characterized by small, spherical bulbs, magenta flowers, and leaves that wither before the flowers appear. The plant thrives in dry, sunny conditions and is often found along hillsides. While it's palatable to sheep and cattle, it's deer-resistant due to its strong smell. It's also favored by pollinators, butterflies, and birds.
Western Tansymustard (Descurainia pinnata) is an hardy desert species that can grow in poor and dry soil. It will bloom small yellow flowers in summer, which can attract butterflies and other insects. The plant is toxic to livestock.
Western yarrow (Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis) is a wildflower known for its feathery leaves, white flower clusters, and drought tolerance. It is also known for its medicinal and culinary uses, having been used traditionally for wound healing and digestive issues. Western yarrow is a common plant found in various habitats and attracts a wide range of insects, including butterflies, bees and other pollinators.
Woodland stars (Lithophragma bulbifora) are a group of flowering plants known for their delicate, star-shaped flowers. They are typically perennial herbs found in various woodlands and grasslands, mostly in western North America. These plants coevolved alongside Greya moths that pollinate and lay eggs on them.
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