Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis

The Bloodroot in my woods is just beginning to bloom. It’s impossible to miss the white glow of these petals.
I think this is the most abused wildflower in the woods. I’ve been on many nature hikes where our group leader began by lecturing us on the perils of picking wildflowers and later stopped along the trail to yank a Bloodroot from the ground just so we could see the red juices ooze from the root. One leaf and one flower stalk is all this plant produces each year. What a set back if either is lost.
The folded leaf looks as though it is trying to hold the plant in place. I find this to be a remarkable little plant. Photos taken April 2, 2010 in Adams County, Ohio.

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