Beautiful, Yet Deadly - Bloodroot
**EXTREMELY TOXIC - can be fatal**
I'm not going to discuss the
medical uses for Bloodroot. There is plenty of information on the
web about it's benefits and dangers. Just let me say do your
research very well. Also, consider pets and children before
planting it in your landscape. As beautiful as this plant is it
is not worth risking loved ones health or possibly even lives.
Okay ... lecture over. I want to talk about the non-medical attributes of this lovely plant. Sanguinaria canadensisis
a member of the Poppy family (Papaveraceae). This native plant
is endangered in some areas. In 2003 the U.S. Park Service
started monitoring Bloodroot populations as well as other threatened
species such as ginseng and black cohosh because of the reduction in
population due to poaching. Poaching is illegal in
all national parks.
Luckily, bloodroot can be shared if you know someone who is growing it
in their gardens. It spreads both by rhizomes and by seed.
Wait until the leaves have turned yellow to divide it. The first couple of times I tried to grow it, I was unsuccessful.
Then in one year I had two
different friends give me share plants
from their gardens and I planted them in two separate places and both
survived. In both cases, the plants appeared to die immediately
but lo and behold the following year I was rewarded with charming white
blooms and amazing leaves. I think I actually screamed the first time I noticed they had emerged.
Bloodroot gets its common name from the reddish sap which will pour
from it's stalk and rhyizomes. If fact, it will even clot like
blood. I suggest wearing gloves whenever handling this plant.
I found some information that stated the sap can harm skin cells.
I am not at all surprised to find out that Bloodroot was named the 2005 Virginia Wildflower of the Year by the Virginia Native Plant Society. Although only 6 inches tall when in bloom, it is a real charmer.
In early spring stalks with single buds are completely
emcompassed within a rolled leaf. During the day when the sun is out
the leaves unfurl and then at night they curl up again. The flower
itself doesn't last very long, because it drops it's petals
within one to two days of being pollinated. The lovely 1 1/2
- 2 inch wide bright white flowers (rarely double) are a real joy
to behold when little else is in bloom. Bloodroot has a sweet
fragrance that it uses to attact pollinators such as various bees,
flies and beetles. It's seeds are often dispersed by ants who
are attracted to the flesh around the seeds.
The leaves themselves are also very interesting. The leaves are
palmate with 5 to 9 lobes. They are very unique and once you've
seen them you will always be able to recognize them. They
continue to grow after the flowers are gone. They don't
disappear until sometime in summer. Rarely is bloodroot bothered by
animals or diseases. It grows into colonies if left alone.
This plant needs sunlight in very early spring, so don't plant
it under evergreens.
No matter which which of it's common names you use (Bloodroot, Red puccoon, Coon root, Snakebite, Sweet slumber, Red root, Corn root, Termeric or Tetterwort) Sanguinaria canadensisis will capture your heart!
Native Americans used Bloodroot for various uses:
- Whan a bachelor wanted to marry a woman, they would apply bloodroot onto their palms and shake hands with the woman they were interested in; within a week the woman would be willing.
- It was used to dye clothing and baskets (in fact, it was also used as a dye by american and french people as well).
- Mixed with animal fat, it was also used as facepaint.
Below are pictures of bloodroot I took when visiting Longwood Gardens:
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