Plant
Bitterroot; rock rose
Lewisia rediviva
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...