Latin Name: Lomatium californicum
Common Name(s): California biscuitroot
Family: Apiaceae
Size: up to 3 feet tall when blooming
Life Cycle: Perennial
Distribution: Southern Oregon, California
Light Requirements: Full sun
USDA Zone: 3 to 9b
Drought Tolerance: High. Thrives on minimal irrigation even when first planted and can survive extended drought once established. It dies back every summer to avoid the heat and drought.
Fire Risk: Quite low and survives well in environments that burn regularly. Foliage dies to the ground by mid-summer.
Cultivation Notes
California lomatium is a lovely species of the biscuitroot genus. It sends up sprays of cream and white flowers for much of the summer, attracting a myriad of beneficial insects. It prefers well drained soil, even thriving in rocky or sandy soils. It can deal with full, harsh sun or part shade. It is a good plant for droughty areas, pollinator gardens, and rock gardens.
Ecology
The attractive yellow flowers bloom throughout the spring (depending on region), sometimes are early as February. They are very attractive to pollinators, like most plants in the carrot family, particularly parasitic wasps, flies, and small bees. Some lepidopteran larvae also feed on the foliage, including some species of swallowtail.
Uses
Lomatium species have a wide variety of medical and edible uses. I won’t comment on the medical uses here. The plant is edible, from the seeds to the roots. The seeds have a powerful scent and flavor that is something like parsley, cumin, and more. The seeds and the leaves can be eaten like a spice. The root can get quite large and was used as a staple food. The roots take several years to develop, however, so please do not harvest this plant from the wild.
Propagation
Lomatium species are best propagated by seed. Plant them in the fall so they can stratify over the winter and keep them well covered to protect them from the birds, which enjoy the large seeds. Germination is often erratic and the seeds aren’t particularly long lived, so make sure you have fresh seed and plant them the first fall you receive them.