Montana State Flower

The Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) is the Montana State Flower. The Bitterroot was selected as the Montana State Flower on February 27, 1895.

Kingdom

Plantae

Division

Magnoliophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Caryophyllales

Family

Portulacaceae

Genus

Lewisia

Species

rediviva

Bitterroot (Lewisia rediviva) flower is a member of the Portulacaceae family, of which portulaca, the moss rose, is the most commonly grown. Bitterroot has a very wide range, growing from the East Cascades east to the Rockies and from British Columbia south into California, Arizona, and Colorado.

The Bitterroot perennial flowers are white to pinkish flowers, each about 2 inches across and appear to be leafless. The Bitterroot flowers are borne on short stems during the month of March. Bitterroot flowers are single on each stem, the stalk starting and jointed just above the bracts. The stalk readily separates at maturity, reaching a height of 1-3 cms.

Sepals of the Bitterroot are mostly 6-9, oval and 10-25 mm long. The sepals are unequal, overlapping, and whitish to deep pink or rose.Sepals of the Bitterroot are entire to ragged. Petals of the Bitterrootare are about 15, rather narrowly oblong-oblanceolate, 18-35 mm long, from deep to light pinkish-rose or sometimes nearly pure white. The stamens are 30-50, and the style branches are 4-8 in number.

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Facts About Bitterroot

• The Bitterroot plant grows in loose gravel and rocky places, sandy ground, granite or shale, mostly dry soil, sagebrush plains to lower mountains.
• The Bitterroot is a plant of summer drought. The Bitterroot plant is best grown in full sun and in a sand bed or dry trough if grown where summer rains are abundant. Otherwise it might rot.
• The Bitterroot plant is a low-growing perennial with a fleshy taproot and a simple or branched base.
• The Bitterroot plant leaves are basal, thick, succulent; without margins of flattening of top and bottom surfaces.
• The leaves of Bitterroot disappear before or at the time of flowering in late spring.
• The Bitterroot flowers are large for the size of the plant, 1.5 inches - 3 inches in diameter.
• The Bitterroots flower blooms from May to June.
• The Bitterroots ability to come back from what appears to be dried death is what gives rise to the species name rediviva.
• The only practical means of propagation in Bitterroot is seed. Lewisias germinate best at cold temperatures (e.g. 40 F, 5 C), either in a refrigerator or left outside in early spring.
• The Bitterroot produces fruit capsules when matured, which are egg-shaped. Seeds are 6-20, nearly round, about 2 mm long, dark brown, shiny, with very minute oval bumps in regular rows, without appendage.

Facts About Montana State

The Capital city of Montana is Helena. Montana attained statehood on November 8,1889. Montana's state flag was adopted in 1981.

• Montana's nickname is Treasure State.
• Montana state is located between 46.596N, 112.020W of Northern U.S.
• Montana's border States include Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming.
• Montana's economy depends upon, Agriculture: Cattle, wheat, barley, sugar beets, hay, hogs; Industry: Mining, lumber and wood products, food processing, tourism.
• Total area of Montana state is 147,046 square miles.
• Historical Sites in Montana include: Custer Battlefield National Monument in Hardin, Museum of the Plains Indians in Browning, Fort Union Trading Post, and Grant-Kohr's Ranch National Historic Sites.
• Points of Interest in Montana are: Glacier National Park on the Continental Divide and Yellowstone National Park.
• The climate is a modified North Pacific maritime climate in the West and the cold continental climate in the Eastern part of the state. Montana is dry and, therefore, neither oppressively hot nor oppressively cold.
• Billings College of Technology - Montana State University, Helena College of Technology - The University of Montana, Montana State University - College of Technology - Great Falls are some of the few popular Universities.