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Fern-leaved Lomatium

Lomatium dissectum

perennial herb View on Calscape

Care

Sun

part shade

Soil

Adaptable, tolerant of sand, loam and clay.

Size

4–5ft tall

Bloom

Jun-Aug

Deer

Resistant

Flowers

Prized

Edible

Roots/tubers eaten raw or cooked; traditional Indigenous food

Native Range

Oak woodlands and grasslands of the Sierra Nevada foothills and interior valleys, 500-4000 ft elevation, extending to Oregon and east

Care Guide

Planting

Plant Fern-leaved Lomatium in part shade with soil that drains well - it's adaptable to sand, loam, and clay, so you have flexibility here. The best time to plant is in fall or early spring when the plant can establish its deep taproot before summer heat. Space plants about 2-3 feet apart since they'll reach 4-5 feet tall and spread with their characteristic fern-like foliage.

After Planting

Water weekly during the first summer to help establish the plant, then taper off as it matures and becomes drought-tolerant - this native plant is adapted to survive without supplemental water once established. The #1 mistake is overwatering or planting in poorly draining soil, which can rot the thick taproot; remember this plant evolved on brushy and wooded slopes where drainage is natural. Expect it to die back in winter as a perennial herb, and it will produce cheerful yellow or reddish flowers from June through August once established.

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