Biscuitroot
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Latin Name:
Lomatium Dissectum and Nudicaule
Other Names:
Desert Parsley, Barestem Biscuitroot (L. nudicaule), Fernleaf Biscuitroot (L. dissectum), Chocolate Tips, Indian Consumption Plant; Numic: Toza
Available November 15, 2026.  Plants ship within 3 weeks of this date, shipped in the order they were received. NOTE: We will wait to ship your order until all your plants become available.
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Biscuitroot (Lomatium spp., here barestem L. nudicaule and fernleaf L. dissectum) is a group of hardy native desert-parsleys — airy umbels of yellow flowers over lacy foliage — long treasured across the West as food, seasoning, and powerful medicine.2, 4

Edible & Medicinal Uses

Biscuitroots earned their name from their starchy, edible taproots, which are traditionally cooked, or dried and ground into a flour pressed into cakes. The root has a distinctive earthy, spicy flavor; barestem biscuitroot (L. nudicaule) in particular has sweet, tender roots when dug young, before they grow woody. It's also prized as a seasoning: the young leaves and shoots are a hardy spring green tasting of parsley, and the aromatic seeds — spicy like caraway — flavor soups, stews, and meats and make a pleasant tea. Fernleaf biscuitroot (L. dissectum) is above all a renowned traditional medicine — one of the most widely used medicinal plants in native North America, its root prepared for respiratory ailments. These are members of the carrot family; treat the medicinal root as a potent remedy to use knowledgeably, and enjoy the food and seasoning uses of the parts traditionally eaten.1, 4

Ornamental Qualities

Tough and architectural, biscuitroot forms mounds of finely divided, almost fern-like foliage topped with bright yellow flower umbels in spring, 1–5 ft depending on species. Blooming early when little else does, it's a superb pollinator plant for a dry meadow, rock garden, or naturalized bank, thriving on lean, dry ground.1, 4

Environment & Culture

Ecology: Native across western North America, biscuitroots grow on dry slopes, sagebrush steppe, and open ground, deeply drought-adapted by their large taproots. Their early flowers are crucial forage for native bees, butterflies, and moths, and the plants feed wildlife from bears to grazers.1, 4

Culture: Among the most important and widely used plants in native North America — food, seasoning, medicine, and ceremony — known to Great Basin peoples as Toza. We offer it with respect for that living knowledge and invite support for Indigenous-led restoration through our Charitable Giving page.4

In the Kitchen

For seasoning, use barestem biscuitroot: snip the celery-scented young greens into soups and stews, or crush the seeds as a spice and steep them for tea. Traditional root preparation means cooking the starchy taproot, or drying and grinding it into a flour for little cakes. Save the medicinal fernleaf root for knowledgeable use rather than the everyday kitchen. (Growing and harvest details are on the Planting Guide tab.)

Attributes

  • Native Range: Western N. America; dry slopes, steppe, open ground1
  • USDA Zones: ~4–83
  • Light: Full sun1
  • Water: Low; very drought-tolerant (deep taproot)1
  • Soil: Well-drained, rocky to loamy; lean ground1
  • Habit: Taprooted perennial, 1–5 ft; lacy foliage, yellow umbels2
  • Uses: Edible root & seasoning greens/seeds (nudicaule); traditional medicine (dissectum)4

References

  1. Gardenia.net; USDA Forest Service, Plant of the Week, Lomatium.
  2. Pojar, J. & MacKinnon, A., Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 2014.
  3. USDA PLANTS Database, Lomatium nudicaule / L. dissectum.
  4. USDA NRCS Plant Guide (Tilley et al., 2010); Moerman, D., Native American Ethnobotany, 1998.

Pot Sizing Guide

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Planting Guide: Biscuitroot (Lomatium nudicaule & L. dissectum)

Tip: Give it full sun and sharp drainage on lean, dry ground — it resents rich, wet soil — and be patient, since these deep-taprooted plants are slow to establish but very long-lived.

When Your Plant Arrives

Open the box promptly and lift your plant out gently, holding the pot rather than the stem. Leave it in its biodegradable eco-pot for now — the roots are settled and don’t need disturbing yet. Give it a slow, thorough drink until water runs through the bottom, then set it somewhere bright but sheltered, out of harsh afternoon sun, drying wind, and frost. Let it rest and acclimate there for a few days before planting, so the move from our greenhouse to your garden is a gentle one. If anything doesn’t look right, please contact customer service within 7 days of delivery and we’ll take care of you.

Choosing a Site

Light: Full sun.

Soil: Well-drained, rocky to loamy; lean and dry.

Space: 12–24 in apart.

Planting Steps

Plant plugs in fall or spring, and site it permanently — the taproot resents disturbance. Set at the depth it grew, firm, and water in.

Avoid rich, irrigated beds.

Watering & Care

Establishment: Light water the first season, then ease off.

After establishment: Very drought-tolerant; keep dry — overwatering rots the root.

Maintenance: Leave undisturbed; long-lived and slow.

Protection

Deer: Generally left alone.

Wildlife: Vital early pollen and nectar for native bees and butterflies.

Harvest Basics

Safety (essential): This is a carrot-family plant (Apiaceae), the family that also holds the deadly poison hemlock and water hemlock. Never wild-harvest any carrot-family root without expert identification — eat only from plants you know for certain, like the ones you planted here.

Season: Barestem greens and seeds in spring/summer; roots when dormant.

Use: Season with the greens and seeds; cook or dry-and-grind the starchy root into meal — the traditional “biscuit.”

Sustainable harvest: Slow to establish, so harvest roots sparingly from a settled stand.