Latin Name: Lomatium dissectum
Common Name(s): Fernleaf biscuitroot
Family: Apiaceae
Size: up to 4 feet tall when blooming
Life Cycle: Perennial
Distribution: The Western US in a variety of habitats. Oak woodlands, scrubland, rocky scree, gravelly washes, and high deserts.
Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
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 and persists due to a very large taproot.
Fire Risk: Quite low and survives well in environments that burn regularly. Foliage dies to the ground by mid-summer.
Cultivation Notes
Fernleaf biscuitroot is one of the more common species of biscuitroot in gardens. The flowers are very attractive to insects and can be either reddish or yellow depending on the variety. flowers for much of the summer, attracting a myriad of beneficial insects. It prefers well drained soil, even thriving in rocky or sandy soils, as it does thrive even in high desert environments. In my experience, however, fernleaf biscuitroot can adapt to loamy garden soil and can even take some summer irrigation. 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 or red flowers bloom throughout the spring (depending on region), often from April to May. 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.
There are two varieties of Lomatium dissectum. Lomatium dissectum var. multifidum is spread wide across the range of the species and has only yellow flowers. Lomatium dissectum var. dissectum has yellow or red flowers and is more common in the western parts of the range of the species as a whole.
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 and their strong flavor lends themselves well to being used 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. Seed for this species is widely available. 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.