Diggin' the Natives – Bloodroot

Photo by Michael Hodge

This week’s native plant is Sanguinaria canadensis or Bloodroot.

A prized possession in the Brister Garden, even non-gardeners stop and say “WOW”. Bloodroot, with clean white flowers standing 6” tall, is a show stopper in early spring. Flowers remain closed on cloudy days, then shatter in a few days, but fear not – new buds open giving you 2 weeks of bloom time. The kidney shaped leaves continue to grow larger once flowering stops giving the gardener “round 2” of interest. The plant is true to its name – break apart a piece of the root and red milky sap will appear. Ready to go really wild? Collect the sap and start dying your own clothes! While still hard to find in many nurseries, Bloodroot can be propagated by seed or division. Part shade, lots of organic matter, goes dormant in later summer. Zones 3-8

Photo by Bob Gutowski