The bloodroot plants actually make an
excellent addition to woodland or partially shaded gardens. To really learn how
to grow bloodroot plant is not complicated, and once the plant is established
in the landscape, the plant care is very simple.
Furthermore, the bloodroot plants are
early spring bloomers and they are found growing wild in dappled sun in wooded
areas, producing beautiful, solitary flowers. The white bloodroot flowers have eight
to twelve petals growing on leafless stems that rise above the foliage of the
charming plant. The bloodroot plants botanical name is Sanguinaria canadensis
and it got its name from the dark red sap found in the stems and roots, which
resembles blood. The colored juice from the plant stems can also be used to
make red, pink, and orange dyes. Make sure you wear gloves when working with
bloodroot plants and also when practicing bloodroot plant care as the plant leaves
and other plant parts of the plant are skin irritants. The medicinal usage of
bloodroot plants was widespread in centuries past; however, facts about the bloodroot
plant indicate all parts of the plant are poisonous. Therefore, it is best left
to professionals to extract the juices and powder from the plant roots for use
in salves. Studies are currently underway using the bloodroot plant as a
treatment for cancers of the skin, though bloodroot products are expensive and
facts about bloodroot plant indicate it is becoming hard to find and is
reaching the point of extinction in some areas of the United States.
How to Grow Bloodroot from Seed
Collect the bloodroot seeds from
bloodroot plants and plant the seeds while they are fresh. The bloodroot seeds
mature in mid to late spring and you can easily place a paper bag over the
mature seedpods, giving it a shake, in order to collect the seeds, which will
germinate the following spring after planting.
How to Care for Bloodroot Plant
To actually keep the bloodroot plant
from entering dormancy, you need to keep the soil moist. In fact, regular
watering of the plant, twice a week, will allow the plant leaves to remain
throughout much of summer. This can be reduced in fall and winter so it can go
dormant. You can begin to feed your bloodroot plants with a balanced fertilizer
once they have reached their second year of growth. When the bloodroot plant is
happy in its location, the plant will colonize and provide many years of
flowering.
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