Wikimedia Commons
Papaveraceae
Bloodroot
Sanguinaria canadensis
Hidden depth, healing, protection, sacrifice.
- Family
- Papaveraceae
- Genus
- Sanguinaria
- Native to
- Eastern North America
- Bloom season
- Early Spring
- Type
- herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 15–30 cm
- Sunlight
- Partial to full shade
- Soil
- Moist, rich, slightly acidic
- Water
- Regular
- Hardiness
- 3–9
- Lifespan
- Perennial
Did you know
- Bloodroot gets its name from the red-orange sap that oozes from its broken roots — it has been used as a natural dye for centuries.
- Native American tribes used bloodroot sap as body paint, fabric dye, and for ceremonial purposes long before European arrival.
- Each flower lasts only one or two days — a fleeting jewel of the early spring woodland.
- Bloodroot is in the poppy family, and like other poppies its alkaloids are powerful — it has been used medicinally but is also potentially toxic.
- Each leaf wraps protectively around the developing flower bud as it emerges from the ground, like a green hand holding a candle.