Plant

Bitterroot; rock rose

Lewisia rediviva
Plant
Bitterroot; rock rose

Photo: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia

Habitat
Mouth of Lolo Creek, MT
Conservation
Apparently secure
First Observed
1806-07-02

As name implies, Lewis found root bitter; natives ate it heartily. Named for Lewis and ability of dried plant to regrow.

Recent sightings

Where it’s being seen today

8 research-grade iNaturalist observations between 2022–2025. Most recent: 2025-06-09. Sourced from Terrain360 trail captures, cached locally.

Journal References

15 journal entries mention Bitterroot; rock rose

May 14 1804
Patrick Gass: May 14, 1804
...1807; 1811 reprint). Public domain. McKeehan’s published prose, not Gass’s lost original notebook.
May 15 1804
Patrick Gass: May 15, 1804
...1807; 1811 reprint). Public domain. McKeehan’s published prose, not Gass’s lost original notebook.
May 16 1804
Patrick Gass: May 16, 1804
...1807; 1811 reprint). Public domain. McKeehan’s published prose, not Gass’s lost original notebook.
May 17 1804
Patrick Gass: May 17, 1804
...1807; 1811 reprint). Public domain. McKeehan’s published prose, not Gass’s lost original notebook.
May 18 1804
Patrick Gass: May 18, 1804
...1807; 1811 reprint). Public domain. McKeehan’s published prose, not Gass’s lost original notebook.
May 19 1804
Patrick Gass: May 19, 1804
...1807; 1811 reprint). Public domain. McKeehan’s published prose, not Gass’s lost original notebook.
May 20 1804
Patrick Gass: May 20, 1804
...1807; 1811 reprint). Public domain. McKeehan’s published prose, not Gass’s lost original notebook.
May 21 1804
Patrick Gass: May 21, 1804
...1807; 1811 reprint). Public domain. McKeehan’s published prose, not Gass’s lost original notebook.
Jul 8 1804
Missouri River near St. Joseph area — Joseph Whitehouse: July 8, 1804
the wind Rose before we starte’ and blew fair with us Sail‘ Chiefly for the space of Eight hours we came to S...
May 1 1805
Missouri River near Porcupine River — Joseph Whitehouse: May 1, 1805
...sant, and the timber more pleanty. about 12 oClock the wind rose So high that we were oblidged to halt in a bottom of timber on the South Side. one cannoe lay on th...
Jun 1 1805
Missouri River near Marias River approach — Joseph Whitehouse: June 1, 1805
...and air our goods 1805] WHITEHOUSE’S JOURNAL &c. the wind rose from the S. E. the river bears to the South, handsom baron plains back from the river. we Saw Mount...
Aug 12 1805
Joseph Whitehouse: August 12, 1805
...Swampy bottoms. about 2 oClock P. M. a hard Thunder Shower arose rained a Short time. we then proceeded on the current more rapid one of the large canoes was near t...
Mar 25 1806
Departed Fort Clatsop, ascending Columbia River — Patrick Gass: March 25, 1806
... the men purchased an otter skin. — At this time the wind rose and blew very hard accompanied with rain; notwithstanding we proceeded on till night, when we came ...
Apr 13 1806
Columbia near The Dalles, trading for horses — Patrick Gass: April 13, 1806
...hern shore, till we passed Crusate’s river, when the wind rose so high we could not go on, so we halted and waited for Capt. Lewis. Two hunters went out about- 3 ...
Jun 4 1806
Camp Chopunnish (Long Camp), waiting for snow to melt — Patrick Gass: June 4, 1806
.... The river fell considerably yes- terday, and in the night rose only an inch and an half. At noon one of our hunters came in with two deer he had killed. The after...

Our Partners

Follow the research

New findings, additions, and corrections from the archive. One email a month, no noise.