the beautiful bitterroot.

The beautiful valley in which I am so blessed to live, the breathtaking mountains in which I love to hike and backpack, and our wonderful clear river where we like to canoe and swim -- all share the same name with our state flower -- the Bitterroot.
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The Bitterroot flower ranges in color from white to pink, usually appearing in May or June. It is quite hardy, as it grows in dry, rocky soil, and is able to live for a year without water.

Although Lewis and Clark are credited with the "discovery" of the Bitterroot, this plant was a very important source of food and trade for various Native American tribes who would migrate in the spring for its harvest.
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Montana's state flower - the Bitterroot.