Southern Ligusticum

Left image
Close up of white Southern Ligusticum flower.

Right image
Meadow of white Southern Ligusticum flowers and blue Silvery Lupine.
Credit: NPS photo by Shannon Eberhard

Southern Ligusticum - Ligusticum porteri

Southern Ligusticum can grow to three feet tall and is most commonly found along forest edges along with Colorado Columbine and Aspen Bluebells. Another common name for this species is “Osha” or Bear Root. It is a member of the Parsley family; you can see the resemblance to the common herb in its leaves. It also has aromatic foliage.

The roots were used by Native Americans to treat a variety of diseases. Today, an extract is used in modern medicines as a decongestant. Some also believe that it boosts the immune system and it is used in a number of herbal remedies. One should always be careful about ingesting native plants, however, as many are known to be toxic.