Sanguinaria canadensis

Sanguinaria canadensis: Snow-White Stars Before the Trees Leaf Out

Bloodroot sounds like a horror movie and looks like a wedding. Pure white flowers with golden centres pop up in early spring, stay just long enough to be adored, then vanish. A NATIVE WITH A FLAIR FOR DRAMATIC EXITS.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Sanguinaria canadensis
• Common Name: Bloodroot
• Height: 15–25 cm (6–10 in)
• Spread: 15–30 cm (6–12 in) per plant, slowly forming colonies
• Flowers: Pure white with golden-yellow stamens, about 5 cm (2 in) across, each lasting only a few days
• Bloom Time: Early spring (April to May)
• Foliage: Deeply lobed, blue-green leaves that keep growing after bloom, then go dormant by mid to late summer
• Features: Rabbit resistant, spreads by rhizomes and by ants carrying its seeds

Where to Plant: Plant it under deciduous trees and shrubs, in a woodland garden, or along a shady path where you'll see it in early spring, while sun still reaches the ground. It's ideal for naturalizing. It goes dormant in summer, so mark the spot so you don't dig into it later.

Companion Plants: Plant bloodroot in a moist, shady native woodland bed where it can spread into a spring colony. Tiarella cordifolia adds starry white foamflower spikes at 15 to 30 cm in May and June. Polystichum acrostichoides brings leathery Christmas fern fronds at 30 to 60 cm that stay green all winter. Eurybia divaricata adds small white wood asters at 30 to 75 cm from August to October. Hystrix patula adds a native bottlebrush grass at 60 to 120 cm in flower.

Plant Care: Plant in moist, rich, well-drained soil with plenty of leaf mould or compost, about 15 cm (6 in) apart. Leave fallen leaves in place as a natural mulch. Water during dry spells in spring, while the plant is in leaf. No deadheading or cutting back is needed. The leaves fade on their own in summer. Once it's established, it handles dry summer soil while dormant. If you want to divide or move it, do it as the foliage begins to fade. Wear gloves when handling the roots: all parts are toxic if eaten, and the red sap can irritate skin.

History: Bloodroot is native to eastern North America, from Florida north into Canada, where it grows in rich deciduous woods and on slopes near streams. Its name comes from the orange-red sap that bleeds from the root when cut, which Indigenous peoples used as a dye and in traditional medicine.

Final Thoughts: Ants carry the seeds around like tiny real estate agents. Plant it in the shade and let the colony expand. THE WOODLAND HAS A NEW LANDLORD.