Blood Root (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a flowering plant native to North America. This perennial herb belongs to the poppy family. The plant gets its name from the reddish-orange sap in its roots, which Native Americans traditionally used as a dye and for medicinal purposes.

Bloodroot has several traditional uses, including as an emetic, as a treatment for coughs and respiratory ailments, and as a topical treatment for skin conditions such as warts and skin tags. However, it should be noted that using bloodroot is not supported by modern medical research, and the plant can be toxic if ingested or misused.

Bloodroot is also a popular ornamental plant, prized for its early spring blooms and attractive foliage. It is often used in woodland gardens or naturalized areas and can be grown in various soil types and light conditions. However, it should be planted with shade because it thrives in partial sun.

Blood Root: Sanguinaria canadensis, or bloodroot, is a North American native perennial species named for its most intriguing characteristic. When someone cuts into this plant, the root system will leak a crimson fluid that resembles blood.

Early North Carolina and Virginia settlers first noted this plant as a species that the Indigenous people of the east coast relied on, using the plant's "blood" as a dye for clothing, body paint, and decorative applications. 

Other common names for this plant include the following: 

• Bloodwort
• Bloodroot (a one-word variation)
• Red puccoon
• Canadia puccoon
• Black paste 

This plant flourishes in the semi-shade; it can tolerate a full-shade spot in the garden, although it may produce fewer blossoms. 

Sanguinaria canadensis Is Easy to Love 

Sanguinaria canadensis grows in the most moderate growing zones in the United States, from New England to the mid-south and west across the mid-west prairies. 

In nature, bloodroot grows in clearings where sunshine dapples the forest floor. It thrives in rich organic matter. 

If you replicate its preferred conditions, it is an easy-to-please plant: semi-shade, enriched woody soil, and moderate moisture. It is disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, and resilient. 

The Woodland Charm of Blood Root 

Each bloodroot plant bears five to nine lobed leaves with well-defined, rounded teeth. The leaves are relatively small, usually about four to six inches long.

The flowers bloom in the early spring. Each blossom has eight to twelve gossamer, pure white petals. Like the leaves, the flowers are petite, only three inches across at the most. The flower centers are a sunny yellow.

Despite the small size of this lovely plant, the early season color makes it well worth including in a shade garden. 

Order Your Blood Root Plant From TN Nursery 

TN Nursery suggests the bloodroot plant for anyone who wants early-season blossoms and lovely greenery requiring almost no care. Order yours today.