The first wild Bloodroot flowers are beginning to open in the area. Mine still have a little ways to go but on the way to town this colony couldn’t be missed while driving by.

Well maybe they wouldn’t be missed, I’m not really sure about other people but I do keep my eyes off the road. And when I spot something like this my truck usually ends up off-road.

Sanguinaria canadensis I couldn’t help but to pull over to get a better look. Besides there were so many I wasn’t hesitant to sacrifice one of these for a better look at what gives them their name. When broken the stems and root bleed a redish-orange sap. The root is toxic but has medicinal and other uses. It has been said that one Native American tribe used it as a love charm. A man would rub the sap on the palms of his hand and then scheme to hold hands with the woman he desired to marry. After 5 – 6 days the woman would be willing to marry if she had held hands. Another use is to apply the sap to warts, I suppose just to make them look pretty because mine aren’t going away. The sap was also used as a dye and to stain the skin for decorative purposes. I’ll have to try next time I want that healthy bottled tan look on my face. I also found it interesting that Bloodroot is a member of the Poppy family. I guess the sap runs thick among them.

Bloodroot is one of my favorite flowers. I love the way the flower emerges from the clasping leaf as if the plant had cupped it in a protective hand until ready to open.

And last but not least is the flower itself. Bright white with a brilliant yellow center.

This is a great woodland – shade garden plant. It naturalizes easy and needs very little care. About the only thing you have to make sure of is not to put it in a spot that becomes bone dry in the summer or in a place where it will have wet feet. Mine get plenty of sun in spring but as the trees leaf out the area only receives a bit of sun early in the morning. In the wild they often grow along the edge of woods only emerging to the point where the hot summer sun does dry out the soil.

• Roadside Wildflower
• Comments(15)

15 Responses

1. Ratty Says:
   April 22nd, 2009 at 5:08 pm

   I always find myself looking the wrong way when I drive past any nature spot too. I’ll point out an animal to someone, and they still never see it.

   As soon as I saw the name of the plant, I knew I’d get to see a good explanation on why it has that name. I’m never disappointed here.

   Ratty,
   My wife and kids are that way. I’ll point and shout “Look an Elephant” and they’ll stare out the window and say ‘Where?’

   How can you be sure I don’t just make up this stuff?

2. Mr. McGregor's Daughter Says:
   April 22nd, 2009 at 5:18 pm

   I hadn’t heard that it was good for warts. I’ll have to give it a try. I also love how they emerge from the earth wrapped in the leaf. I’m ready to start sharing mine, they spread so easily.

   MMG,
   I prefer the ‘Uncle Buck’ (John Candy) method of wart removal. For just a quarter you can go downtown and pay a rat to gnaw it off.

   Yea, I’d accept them being called ‘prayer plants’ because of the way the leaf looks like hands folder in prayer. You’re going to make someone happy.

3. cindee Says:
   April 22nd, 2009 at 5:54 pm

   Those are so pretty. I wonder if they would grow here. I love how the leaves wrap around the flower too. That is so beautiful. The Uncle Buck method of wart removal would not feel to good even though its pretty cheap! I love that movie(-:
   Today I went for my walk and walked over to see the nesting owls. I saw something white on the ground under the tree and thought maybe it was owl barf but it was a baby owl that was dead. So sad! I have been watching the owls for weeks and I talk to them everyday when I walk past their tree. They don’t seem to mind me talking to them. They look at me like I am nuts but I don’t care(-: I was sad to see one didn’t make it. Hopefully the others will survive and I will get pictures of them sitting on the branches . I posted a picture on my blog of the baby.

   cindee,
   I don’t know how they would do in zone 9. It would be a shame if you couldn’t grow them, they’re so cheerful in early spring.

   Well I suppose you could get a Doctor to do a local anesthetic then apply the rat. It might cost a bit more but you can always place a bet on a horse you get a tip on.

   It’s OK to talk to the Owls. I wish I had some to talk to. I’ll be looking forward to the family portrait, too bad that it will be short one. I would have felt bad too if I found the dead chick.

4. rainfield Says:
   April 22nd, 2009 at 7:19 pm

   I have waited for a long time to see an ocean of flowers from you. It is great on second picture and it somehow satisfies me.
   The bad thing is you have disclosed too many secrets of the flower especially that about the Native American. This will lure some bad guys, I have never mentioned I am good, to try it out.(Can you email me some of the flowers?)

   rainfield,
   Glad you liked that photo. I am that it came out like I imagined.

   You looking for a good woman? Why not rub Durian all over your body and lure them in with the smell.

5. Sande Says:
   April 22nd, 2009 at 10:04 pm

   I really like your photos of the bloodroot – so crisp and detailed, with great exposure, and even getting right down to eye level You are a very good photographer!

   Sande,
   Don’t give me credit for getting down to their level. Laying down is my natural position.

6. keewee Says:
   April 22nd, 2009 at 10:13 pm

   What a beautiful flower, and interesting it bleeds red sap.

   keewee,
   I only wish I had known about it before I got married. Red palms could have saved me a lot of money on dinner dates.

7. sharkbytes Says:
   April 22nd, 2009 at 11:14 pm

   I went looking for the ones that grow near me today. We just had 3 days of rain and I thought they might be up, but I can’t find any at all! How can you be that far ahead of us? I would expect spring to arrive at about the same time. Nice explanations with your great pictures.

   sharkbytes,
   Those I found today must have been in a warmer micro climate – mine are just emerging and the leaf is still tightly bound. Overall the St. Lawrence River valley is in a warmer pocket too – it gets colder no matter which direction you head. I was in the higher elevations only 20 some miles south this afternoon and things are a couple of weeks behind.

8. Monica Says:
   April 23rd, 2009 at 7:34 am

   I love blood root. It was one of my favorites in a native plant demonstration garden I used to steward. I also like how its foliage is red when it first comes up. Noogie!

9. betchai Says:
   April 23rd, 2009 at 1:06 pm

   oh, i love your field of blood root pictures, and thanks for sharing the history of the blood root name. they look like lily or lotus from afar. very pretty.

   betchai,
   I’m a deceiver. That field isn’t much bigger than a large room. But I’m happy you ‘fell’ for it.

10. Sande Says:
    April 23rd, 2009 at 4:23 pm

    That’s very funny. I have, however, been wondering what kind of camera you use. I am in the market for a new one and am just starting to look around.

    Sande,
    My camera is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28. 18 x Optical Zoom, 10 mega pixels. I bought this ‘point and shoot’ last year – $400 clams. It’s easy to use and it has to be since I’m not camera friendly. I might be able to compose a pic but if I had to use a real SRL I’d be lost.

11. Sande Says:
    April 23rd, 2009 at 8:24 pm

    Thanks, I’ll check it out.

    Sande,
    By now there probably have been a couple new models released. Sony also makes some good cameras – just remember to get a good lens over pixels.

12. Ellen Says:
    April 24th, 2009 at 8:29 am

    That is an amazing clump of Sanguinaria! It reminds me of a huge clump of Aquilegia canadensis by the side of Route 611 in PA. Everytime I drive past it I nearly drive off the road, even though I’ve seen it before. But it never ceases to amaze me. My sanguinaria isn’t up yet but I’m looking forward to it.

    Ellen,
    There used to be a stretch of road nearby that had a colony nearly a 1/4 mile long. Unfortunately it was emerging from a brush and tree line under some power lines that was cut down. Those plants are long gone now – except the few I brought home.

    I’ve seen some wild columbine just coming up. It’s scattered around but not dense enough to make a striking group photo when in bloom. I’m looking forward to getting some nice individual pics though.

13. Lisa Says:
    April 24th, 2009 at 6:31 pm

    I love this plant! My mom gave me some, and it’s happily colonizing…hopefully I’ll have a group as impressive as the one in your pictures! There is a double-flowering bloodroot too, I saw it in a catalog one time.

14. Joy Says:
    April 26th, 2009 at 7:24 am

    I forgot to tell you .. I’m working backwards here .. catching up . These are little beauties too .. but the double flower blood root is too pretty to believe !
    In any case .. I have my new camera .. I have been reading the manual .. haven’t tried it out yet .. it is the 12MP 26 x optical zoom 59OUZ Olympus .. I am trying to be sensible and READ what I should know first ? .. sensible combined with me ? is very scary !

    Oh Joy,
    I know you work backwards, no need to tell everybody.

    Sounds like I want a new camera

15. Star Says:
    April 30th, 2009 at 2:21 pm

    Where can I get a start of this plant from my childhood??

    Star,
    If you can find me I’ll give you some. Otherwise you’ll have to find a nursery that deals in native plants. We can have a second but we can’t go back to childhood.

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