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This fragile spring flower develops and rises from the center of its curled leaf, opening during the day, and closing at night. Like most members of the Poppy Family, it lasts for a relatively short time (1-3 days}. The generic name, from the Latin sanguinarius, means "bleeding."

The single bloodroot leaf and flower each rise on a separate stem, and at first the leaf completely enwraps the flower bud. The clear, white, many-petaled 2" blossom may open before the leaf has completely unwrapped, rising slightly above the leaf to a height of 6-10 in. Leaves, which are large, round and deeply cleft, eventually can reach a height of 12-14 in. On a smooth stalk a solitary white flower, with a yellow to golden-orange center, grows beside a lobed basal leaf that often curls around the stalk. Roots and stem with acrid red-orange juice. [Adapted from wildflower.org]

While common throughout the Mid-Atlantic in piedmont and mountain eco-regions, bloodroot is uncommon while still native in the coastal plain.

Photo: Wildflower Center Digital Library | Julie Makin

Larval Host for the

6-12"

3-10"

SIZE

SOIL

Medium, Moist, Humus-rich, Well-Drained

LIGHT

Part Shade, Shade

BENEFITS

NOTES

Gorgeous diminutive early spring bloomer. Lobed leaves stay into summer as understory groundcover, then disappear as the plant goes dormant. Plants well with Canadian Ginger, Trilliums, less aggressive ferns and Mayflower. Will get lost among and crowded out by more aggressive plants.

CHARACTERISTICS

Spring Ephemeral, Early Spring Bloomer, Relatively pest free, Perennial, Groundcover, Will Naturalize

March, April

Groundcover, Flower

This 

flowers in

Bloodroot

Sanguinaria canadensis

DETAIL VIEW

DESCRIPTION

This fragile spring flower develops and rises from the center of its curled leaf, opening during the day, and closing at night. Like most members of the Poppy Family, it lasts for a relatively short time (1-3 days}. The generic name, from the Latin sanguinarius, means "bleeding."

The single bloodroot leaf and flower each rise on a separate stem, and at first the leaf completely enwraps the flower bud. The clear, white, many-petaled 2" blossom may open before the leaf has completely unwrapped, rising slightly above the leaf to a height of 6-10 in. Leaves, which are large, round and deeply cleft, eventually can reach a height of 12-14 in. On a smooth stalk a solitary white flower, with a yellow to golden-orange center, grows beside a lobed basal leaf that often curls around the stalk. Roots and stem with acrid red-orange juice. [Adapted from wildflower.org]

While common throughout the Mid-Atlantic in piedmont and mountain eco-regions, bloodroot is uncommon while still native in the coastal plain.

Photo: Wildflower Center Digital Library | Julie Makin
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