The Arrowleaf Balsamroot Collection

The Design:

Hear the buzz of a small sunflower bee dancing from sunflower to sunflower above the arrow-shaped leaves. On one pattern, the leaves and flower form a trail across the yellow textured background, while another pattern finds the blossoms and leaves separating and dancing, probably to the humming melody of the little bee.

To continue the pattern separations, another pattern scatters yellow petals and the other pattern scatters seeds or circular disk flowers from the sunflower’s center disk. 

Complete the collection with yellow gingham or choose a green stripe on the textured yellow background. Or enjoy a wall hanging of the scientific botany poster or 2025 calendar.

Inspiration

I love the arrowleaf balsamroot [Balsamorhiza sagittata] of the Astor family which grows in our shrub-steppe area; it’s one of the most important wildflowers because of its deep cultural significance to the Native Americans here. These large, bright yellow sunflowers bloom from April/May to July.  

Did you know that the sunflower bee lives exclusively off the asteraceae sunflowers?  You can see them buzzing around the clumps of sunflowers that cover and color the hillsides each spring.

The arrow shaped leaves can be twelve inches long, growing at the flower’s base. The hairy stems have no leaves and grow up to two feet tall so the large sunflowers stand out above the leaves.

Native Americans peeled the outer part of young stems to eat the inner stem as a treat, my friends say. The whole plant is edible, from root, to flower, to seeds. 

The leaves are so large, young boys would wrap them around their ankles, then walk to see how far they could go without tearing the leaves, thus practicing their ability to walk with care in silence.

Arrowleaf balsamroot are one of my favorite flowers, and like lilacs, must be enjoyed during their short blooming period. The leaves eventually die back, waiting for next year’s blooms.

The Collection

I almost always start with a palette that matches the colors of the wildflower and create a sketch and colored hero, or main, illustration, which can be applied to tea towels, wall hangings, and greeting cards.

I chose to illustrate in watercolor, and, after playing with several patterns, I revised them, and chose the background colors that fit best, deciding on the cream colored background for my project. 

The hero pattern is a trailing vine pattern that includes the sunflowers in two positions, it’s arrow shaped leaves, and the little sunflower bee to complete the main story.

The other complementary patterns are a floral scatter pattern, a scatter pattern of falling petals, and a scattered circular motif that mimics the tiny buds of the sunflower’s disk center.  In addition, I added both stripes and gingham to complete the collection for various home decor items.

See the Collection

To see how the designs blend together, view the various products on Spoonflower — in the Coulee Country Collection. The Arrowleaf Balsamroot Collection only is here. Here are a few ideas. Click the image to view.

Coulee Country: Arrowleaf Balsamroot

Poetry

Spring Sunshine

“cold storms of winter,

away!” shine the sunflower

in petals of gold

SHERI EDWARDS
04.05.24 096.365.24
POETRY/PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTO: APRIL 5, 2021

Enjoy the arrowleaf balsamroot, 

on the path or in your home decor!

Sources

• Burke Herbarium — about the plant
• Earth Planet— Native American uses
• US Forest Service / Montana— Bees
• Info, including Native American uses — Chelan-Douglas Land Trust
• Links in OneTab