Bloodroot

Bloodroot is a charming woodland wildflower with very unusual foliage and flower. The early spring flower rises from the center of its single curled leaf, opening in full sun, and closing at night. Bloodroot can grow up to 12 inches tall with a single lobed leaf on each stem. It is found growing in medium to moist shade along rocky slopes in woods, in ravines, and along bluffs. Like most members of the Poppy Family, Bloodroot lasts for a relatively short time. The red juice from the underground stem was used by Native Americans as a dye for baskets, clothing, and war paint, as well as for insect repellent. The generic name, from the Latin sanguinarius, means bleeding. Hardy to zones 3 - 8.