The wildflowers seem to be having a hard time opening this cold spring. The Bloodroots have had their blossoms up for a week but they have been closed up tight and there was only a little sun out yesterday so they still haven’t fully opened up yet. But it was windy and some of the petals were being blown away even if they haven’t displayed their blooms completely.
Emerging Bloodroots
The traditional of a leaving a May basket filled with flowers on neighbors or friends doorsteps, has been fading in popularity since the late 20th century. That is probably a good thing this year since I would have trouble finding any flowers to put in the May basket as I don’t think one lone Bloodroot, which hasn’t opened up, will fill a basket.
May Day
The Bloodroot is fragile spring flower that develops and rises from the center of its curled leaf, opening in full sun, and closing at night. Like most members of the Poppy Family, it lasts for a relatively short time. The red juice from the underground stem was used by Indians as a dye for baskets, clothing, and war paint, as well as for insect repellent. The generic name, from the Latin sanguinarius, means bleeding. It was nice to finally see some new wildflowers blooming.
The Bloodroot
There are other spots of white in the spring after the snow finally melts. The white blossoms of the Bloodroot, wrapped in green leaves, add some of the first color in the spring time woods.
The blood of the root (when cut open) was used as a dye. A break in the surface of the plant, especially the roots, reveals a reddish sap.
Bloodroot
Watching the big snowflakes coming down this morning makes me think of finding white that is not so cold and looking for white in the form of a spring flower. The Bloodroot is an eastern North American native plant and was used as a popular red natural dye by Native American artists. A break in stem would reveal the reddish sap or ‘blood’, leading to its name. The Bloodroot is often the second wildflower to appear in the spring after the Hepatica in my woods.
Native Americans, early settlers and herbal practitioners have prescribed Bloodroot for medical conditions from skin cancers to sore throats. Its most common use takes advantage of the flesh destroying properties of the root juice or powered root for treating conditions of the skin such as ringworm, moles and warts. Bloodroot is used in the mole remover Dermatend. An extract has long been used in toothpaste and mouthwash to fight plaque and gingivitis and this use is now sanctioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Finding White in the Bloodroot
