Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis
Above: Bloodroot blooming on April 15, 2023 in Madison, Wisconsin near Council Ring Springs.
Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis (Spring Ephemeral)
Bloodroot is not a true ephemeral as it's leaves persist well into summer. However, the bloodroot flower is ephemeral as they have a life span of only a few days.
The basal leaves continue to grow and unfold as the flowers wither away.
Bloodroot has a single flower at the end of a reddish, terete, glabrous stem (having a smooth surface without hairs or projections and without substantial furrows or ridges). The stem shoots up from the ground separately from the leaves.
The flower typically has 8 to 10 white petals with a cluster of yellow-tipped stamens in the center.
The rhizomes grow longer each year, and branch to form colonies.
Blooms: April - May
Other names include: Canada puccoon, redroot and red puccoon.
Sanguinaria: Latin sanguinarius meaning "bleeding," referring to juice from the broken root.
Note: This plant is hazardous!
Above: Bloodroot near Council Ring on April 19, 2019.
For more information on Bloodroot, visit Wikipedia.
Or, visit the Online Virtual Flora of Wisconsin website at: http://wisflora.herbarium.wisc.edu.
Bloodroot
Sanguinaria canadensis
Above: Bloodroot in south-facing yard on Nakoma Road (4/3/21)
Above: Bloodroot in Oak Savanna in Madison, Wisconsin (4/6/21)
Above: Bloodroot in Thoreau Rain Garden in Madison, Wisconsin (4/6/21)
Above: Bloodroot near Council Ring (4/3/19)
Above: Bloodroot near Council Ring (4/8/19)
Above: Bloodroot near Council Ring (4/12/19)
Above: Bloodroot near Council Ring (4/13/19)
Above: Bloodroot near Council Ring (4/15/19)
Above: 1918 Bloodroot illustration by Mary Vaux Walcott. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist.
Above: 1913 drawing of Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis).
Above: Bloodroot (Sanguinaria Candadensis) illustration by Alice Lounsberry circa 1899.
Above: Bloodroot (Sanguinaria Candadensis) illustration by William Curtis circa 1792.
