Plant Archives - Lewis & Clark Research Database https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/species-type/plant/ A digital archive of treaties, documents, artwork, and 360° trail panoramas from the Corps of Discovery Wed, 18 Feb 2026 18:45:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Ragged Robin https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/ragged-robin/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:52:40 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/ragged-robin/ On June 1, 1806, Lewis "met with a singular plant today in blume" and collected it on the steep, fertile hills northeast of Kamiah, Idaho. Frederick Pursh named the entire genus Clarkia in honor of...

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]]> On June 1, 1806, Lewis “met with a singular plant today in blume” and collected it on the steep, fertile hills northeast of Kamiah, Idaho. Frederick Pursh named the entire genus Clarkia in honor of William Clark — just as the genus Lewisia honors Meriwether Lewis. The species name “pulchella” means “beautiful.” Also known as pinkfairies and deerhorn clarkia, this delicate wildflower represents one of the expedition’s most enduring botanical legacies.

Journal Excerpt

Lewis, June 1, 1806: "I met with a singular plant today in blume, of which I preserved a specimne; it grows on the steep sides of the fertile hills near this place."

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]]> Lewis’s Monkey-flower https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/lewiss-monkey-flower/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:52:40 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/lewiss-monkey-flower/ Lewis collected this striking pink-flowered plant on August 12, 1805, at the headwaters of the Missouri River, near Lemhi Pass on the Continental Divide. Frederick Pursh named the species in Lewis's honor and included a...

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]]> Lewis collected this striking pink-flowered plant on August 12, 1805, at the headwaters of the Missouri River, near Lemhi Pass on the Continental Divide. Frederick Pursh named the species in Lewis’s honor and included a handsome color illustration in his 1814 Flora Americae Septentrionalis.

Journal Excerpt

Lewis, August 12, 1805: "At the head spring of the Missouri, at the foot of Portage hill, I observed a very handsome purple flowering plant which I preserved as a specimen."

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]]> Prairie Sagebrush https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/prairie-sagebrush/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:52:40 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/prairie-sagebrush/ Lewis and Clark collected prairie sagebrush specimens as early as September 2, 1804, near Springfield, South Dakota. The sagebrush-covered plains became one of the defining landscapes of the western expedition. Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and...

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]]> Lewis and Clark collected prairie sagebrush specimens as early as September 2, 1804, near Springfield, South Dakota. The sagebrush-covered plains became one of the defining landscapes of the western expedition. Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and silver sagebrush (A. cana) were also documented as icons of the American West.

Journal Excerpt

Lewis, April 14, 1805: "on these hills many aromatic herbs are seen; resembling in taste, smel and appearance, the sage, hyssop, wormwood, southernwood, and two other herbs which are strangers to me."

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]]> Wild Bergamot https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/wild-bergamot/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:52:40 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/wild-bergamot/ Lewis and Clark documented wild bergamot along the Missouri River corridor during the early stages of the expedition in 1804. This aromatic member of the mint family was already known to eastern botanists but was...

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]]> Lewis and Clark documented wild bergamot along the Missouri River corridor during the early stages of the expedition in 1804. This aromatic member of the mint family was already known to eastern botanists but was widely documented by Lewis in its western range. Native peoples used wild bergamot extensively for medicinal purposes, particularly for treating respiratory ailments and fevers.

Journal Excerpt

Lewis, July 20, 1804: "observed great quantities of an aromatic plant with purple flowers resembling the bergamot of our gardens, growing wild upon the prairies."

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]]> Western Serviceberry https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/western-serviceberry/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:52:40 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/western-serviceberry/ Lewis was the first to collect a specimen of the western serviceberry for science. The berries were a favorite food of the entire expedition, and Lewis recorded that the Lemhi Shoshone also prized them. The...

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]]> Lewis was the first to collect a specimen of the western serviceberry for science. The berries were a favorite food of the entire expedition, and Lewis recorded that the Lemhi Shoshone also prized them. The plant’s sweet berries were eaten fresh, dried for winter use, and mixed with pemmican by Native peoples throughout the West.

Journal Excerpt

Lewis, April 15, 1806: "Serviceberry. A small bush, the narrows of the Columbia R. April 15, 1806. This shrub grows from 4 to 12 feet high, produces a berry which is much esteemed by the natives and is in fact a very pleasant fruit."

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]]> Ponderosa Pine https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/ponderosa-pine/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:52:39 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/ponderosa-pine/ Lewis and Clark wrote the first description of the ponderosa pine on May 11, 1805, calling it "pitch-pine" and comparing it to Virginia pine but noting longer needles. The ponderosa is the most widely distributed...

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]]> Large tree typifies areas west of Great Plains because it tolerates dry, cold conditions to mid-elevations in mountains.

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]]> Sitka Spruce https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/sitka-spruce/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:52:39 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/sitka-spruce/ Lewis and Clark encountered massive Sitka spruce trees along the Pacific coast in November-December 1805 while searching for lumber to build Fort Clatsop. Patrick Gass wrote that it "rives better than any other species" and...

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]]> Five of the six trees Lewis described as growing at Fort Clatsop were new species, including the massive Sitka spruce.

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]]> Western Red Cedar https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/western-red-cedar/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:52:39 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/western-red-cedar/ Lewis and Clark encountered the western red cedar as they crossed the Bitterroot Mountains and descended into the Pacific Northwest in September 1805. They called it "arborvitae" after the similar northeastern white cedar, though the...

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]]> Lewis and Clark encountered the western red cedar as they crossed the Bitterroot Mountains and descended into the Pacific Northwest in September 1805. They called it “arborvitae” after the similar northeastern white cedar, though the western species was far larger. The wood was critical for the expedition — they used it to build dugout canoes for the Columbia River descent. The western red cedar was also central to Northwest Native cultures, used for longhouses, canoes, clothing, and art.

Journal Excerpt

Lewis, September 15, 1805: "we found the trees to be of a very large size, some of them appeared to be 6 feet in diameter; the timber is sound and it's bark thin. the bark of the arborvitae when rotten is soft light and makes good tinder."

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]]> Salal https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/salal/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:52:39 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/salal/ Lewis collected the salal specimen on January 20, 1806, at Fort Clatsop, and wrote a detailed description on February 8, 1806. He had previously mistaken it for a species of laurel. The Chinook and Clatsop...

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]]> Eaten fresh or baked into cakes by Chinookian people on coast. Berries supplemented Corps diet of elk at Fort Clatsop.

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]]> Bear Grass https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/bear-grass/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:52:39 +0000 https://research.lewisandclarktrust.org/wildlife/bear-grass/ Lewis described bear grass on June 15, 1806, on the Lolo Trail in the Bitterroot Mountains, noting "There is a great abundance of a species of bear-grass which grows on every part of these mountains."...

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]]> Lewis described bear grass on June 15, 1806, on the Lolo Trail in the Bitterroot Mountains, noting “There is a great abundance of a species of bear-grass which grows on every part of these mountains.” The plant was first called “beargrass” by members of the expedition. Its leaves were extensively used by Northwest Native peoples for weaving intricate waterproof baskets and hats.

Journal Excerpt

Lewis, June 15, 1806: "There is a great abundance of a species of bear-grass which grows on every part of these mountains. it's growth is luxouriant and continues green all winter but the horses will not eat it."

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