Discover Idaho’s Wildflowers in Bloom: A Guide to the State’s Wildflowers

The Christ’s Indian paintbrush was named after John H. Christ, a botanist who first collected this flower in 1950.

Christ’s Indian paintbrush is only found in the meadows below the tree line of Mount Harrison, stretching across 200 acres.

Resembling nature’s paintbrush, Christ’s Indian paintbrush ranges from six to 15 inches tall and is topped with a cluster of yellow to yellow-orange blooms.

Camas lilies were used for both healing purposes and as a primary food source by Indigenous people. Once dried and peeled, the camas root can be ground into flour.

The Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh Wildlife Management Area in Fairfield is arguably the best place to see the vibrant blue blooms of camas lilies. 

The camas lily’s six-petaled, blue-purple flowers often look like a sea of color floating over their grass-like leaves and stems.

In 1931, the Syringa was designated as the official state flower of Idaho. The species name, lewisii, honors Meriwether Lewis, who wrote about this flower in his journal during his exploration.

Syringas can be found in western states like Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Washington and California at the border of evergreen forests.

Sprinkled across the Syringa’s woody shrub base are clusters of fragrant, white blossoms. They can reach anywhere between three and 10 feet tall.

In 1807, Frederick Pursh, a German American botanist, gave this flower its species name, Clarkia pulchella. In Latin, “pulchella” means beautiful.

The elkhorn Clarkia spans the northwest states of Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming, as well as British Columbia in Canada.

The elkhorn Clarkia displays four antler-shaped petals, each with three lobes, ranging in color from vibrant purple to fuchsia. It can grow up to a foot and a half tall.

“Balsamorhiza” is derived from two Greek words: “balsamon,” meaning balsam, and “rhiza,” meaning root. The sap resembles the resin from a balsam fir in both scent and touch. “Sagittata” means arrow-leaved.

Arrowleaf balsamroot wildflowers are often found all across the Boise National Forest and transform the slopes of the Lucky Peak Reservoir into blankets of gold throughout the spring.

Similar to sunflowers, the arrowleaf balsamroot features large yellow flowers on leafless stems that reach one to two feet tall. The leaves, located at the base of the plant, are arrow-shaped and covered in fine, short hairs, giving them a silver-gray hue.

The Idaho trillium, also known as Wake-Robin, is said to bloom when robins arrive—usually in early spring. Indigenous people also used the root as an aid during childbirth, giving it the nickname Birthroot.

Idaho trillium blooms can be found along stream banks and on forest floors throughout Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Growing eight to 16 inches tall, the Idaho trillium features three petals that range in color depending on maturity. The leaves are large and plantain-like.

In Latin, “nanus” means dwarf, a nod to the flower’s size, while “mimulus” is derived from the Latin word mime, which is believed to refer to the mask-like appearance of the flowers.

Dwarf monkeyflowers prefer sandy soils in mountainous regions, often near sagebrush scrub and juniper woodlands.

Dwarf monkeyflowers typically grow between two and 10 centimeters tall with clusters of vibrant magenta blooms.

While there is no known symbolism, beardtongue flowers are popular amongst gardeners because they attract pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds. However, the Payette beardtongue flower doesn’t transplant well and is best grown from seed.

The Payette beardtongue was first collected in the Payette National Forest and is most commonly found on rocky slopes.

Growing approximately two feet tall, the Payette beardtongue displays vibrant blue blooms similar to those of a snapdragon.