Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Bloodroot

(Sanguinaria canadensis L.)

I completely missed the Bloodroot’s ephemeral bloom last year.


As I worked on garden cleanup on April 8, I spotted the buds among the leaves of another woodland plant.






It was in full flower on April 10.




By April 11 it had almost finished blooming.




The single leaved plants and seedpods (left in photo) are all that remained on April 23.



I hope I remember to look for this fleeting little beauty at the beginning of April next year.

Bloodroot is a native, spring wildflower that grows to be 10” tall, prefers rich, moist soil and grows best in shade. The roots are a reddish orange ribosome and give the plant it’s name.

The root was used by the American Indians for treatment of rheumatism and fever and today is being studied as a treatment for skin cancer. Its use in mouthwash and toothpaste to fight gingivitis and plaque has been approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration. According to the FDA, self-medication should be avoided because it could be toxic. It was also a source of red, pink and orange dyes by the American Indians.

(For more wildflowers see Clay & Limestone's "Wildflower Wednesday.)

9 comments:

Darla said...

Very interesting.

Gail said...

It's a darling plant~ I am glad you got to see it this year and that you shared your excitement with us! gail

Marie said...

Thank you Darla. Loved your Lady Lupine - so foreign to us in the northeast.

Marie said...

Thank you Gail --
I always enjoy the great photos and info at "Clay & Limestone"

Anonymous said...

This was a new addition to my garden this spring so I don't know if I'll get blooms yet. But seeing yours fills me with anticipation for next spring! :)

Marie said...

Racquel, I always get a bit of a thrill when the Bloodroot blooms. It is a spectacular little flower. I wish you the best with yours.

Beth at PlantPostings said...

Thanks for the great info about Bloodroot! I just discovered it on my lot this week. It is beautiful but I'm discovering too that it's fleeting because I don't remember seeing it before. Great post!

donna said...

Oh....Bloodroot is one of my favorite wildflowers. In the past we had a few that grew in our natural area, but they've disappeared over the years and I miss them.

Thanks for the great photos and the good information.

donna

Marie said...

Donna,
The bloodroot in bloom is always a pretty little surprise. They seem to pop out of nowhere.