Sanguinaria. L
Researcher: Beverly Burdette-Osterland

Common Names:
paucon
pauson
indian paint
snakebite
red puccoon
white puccoon
puccoon-root
coonroot
tetterwort
sweet slumber
red root
red paint root
red indian paint

Genus: Sanguinaria. L. “consisting of or
relating to the blood.”

Family: Papaveraceae

Synonyms: none found

Relatives: e.g. all poppies, greater celandine,dutchman’s breeches, bleeding
hearts, and fitweed

Duration: Perennial

Habit: Forb/herb

Height: Plants are 6-14” at maturity, but only
half of that at blooming (Predney, 2005 and Montgomery, 2000).

Stems: Erect, un-branched

Bloodroot leaves—Rural Action stock photo

Leaves: A single, downy gray basal leaf wraps around the flower stalk at their simultaneous emergence. It has a palmate shape with 5-9
deep lobes and a scalloped edge. There is a
single leaf stalk for each branch of the rhizome. The leaf can grow to 4-7” in length and 6-12”
in width. The light gray-green color becomes darker through the year, with the underside remaining downy and orange veins becoming prominent. The leaves continue to grow after bloom, forming a dense canopy (Faurot, 2004, Grieve, 1994, Montgomery, 2000, Persons, 2005, Bloodroot, 1999, Cech, 2002, Predney, 2005, Marino, 1997).


Bloodroot flower—Photo by J.P. Siegrist

Flowers: White, waxy blossoms with 8-10
petals appear on a separate stalk in late winter
to early spring. The star-shaped bloom is approximately 1” across and 2” in diameter,
radial in symmetry, fully distinct, and without spurs. It has a normal number of 8 petals in 2 rows of 4 in alternate whorls and 2 sepals,
unlike other members of the family that have
half the number of sepals for the number of petals.  This is thought to be a case of
“homeosis” in which one organ is replaced by another. Distinguishing itself as one of the first flowers of spring, it only blooms for a few
days, closing each night and when temperatures dip below 46°F/8°C. (Greenfield, 2004,
Faurot, 2004, Bloodroot, 1999, Meyer, 1960, Cech, 2002, Predney, 2005, Grieve, 1994, Montgomery, 2000, Marino, 1997, Lehmann, 1993, Walters, 1996).


Fruit: Seeds are found in a two-chambered oblong green pod. The seeds mature and the
pod bursts open 4-5 weeks after the flower
has died back One study found any where
from 3 to 51 seeds per pod. Each seed is mahogany in color, leathery in texture and has
an appendage known as a raphe or elaiosome. This appendage is white or yellow and
wormlike. Because the elaiosome is oil-rich
with fatty acids, amino acids and diglycerides,
it makes a very nutritious meal for ants. By carrying the seeds
into their tunnels and removing the elaiosome, which inhibits germination, from the seed,
the ants propagate the species. This mutually beneficial relationship is known as
myrmecochory  (Greenfield, 2004, Faurot,
2004, Bloodroot, 1999, Meyer, 1960, Cech, 2002, Predney, 2005, Persons, 2005, Grieve, 1994, Marino, 1997, Salmore, 2001).


Bloodroot broken open to expose red inside
Photo by Marisha Hall

Roots: The thick, fleshy rhizome grows
shallow and horizontally, 1-4” in length. It is reddish-brown with a matted and transparent underside, and black fibrous roots growing
out from it. It is filled with a bloodred or
orange latex juice that gives the root its name. When dry, the root appears brown outside
and yellow on the inside and breaks into sharp fractures. The flower and leaf stems grow out from buds on the rhizome, one bud for each jointed branch. One rhizome may branch up to
12 times and will show 12 leaves and flowers (Greenfield, 2004, Bloodroot, 1999, Meyer, 1960, Cech, 2002, Persons, 2005, Grieve,
1994, Montgomery, 2000, Marino, 1997, Salmore, 2001).

Pollination: Hermaphroditic and facultatively xenogamous. Bees are the main pollinator during the first 1-3 days when the stamen position is erect and does not allow for the stigma to be dusted with pollen. After 3 days, if cross-pollination has not occurred the stamen will bend, allowing self-pollination. The branching and abscission of the roots also allows for asexual reproduction (Cech, 2002, Predney, 2005, Marino, 1997).

Habitat: It is primarily found in mixed-hardwood forests in Zones 4A-9A. It is often indicative of a birch, maple, and basswood species combination. It can grow in a variety of light conditions, from full sun to deep shade, preferring semi-shaded, open patches in wooded areas. Bloodroot favors a soil that is rich in humus and organic material, primarily a heavy layer of leaf matter. It has been propagated in England in a gravely till, but is found naturally in a sandy-loam. Sources offer differing opinions on pH tolerance; some indicate the species grows best in a slightly acidic condition (5.5-6.5), another states that a more neutral range is preferred (5-7) or even higher. Soil moisture is very important, but bloodroot will not tolerate poorly drained soils. While it is often found on moist slopes and streamside bottomlands, it will grow away from overly saturated soils. At the other extreme, bloodroot will go into early dormancy during a drought. During winter dormancy it can survive temperatures that reach -20°C/-40°F (Greenfield, 2004, Meyer, 1960, Cech, 2002, Predney, 2005, Persons, 2005, Grieve, 1994, Montgomery, 2000).

Associations: eg. dragon’s tongue (Arisaema dracontium),
jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum),
wild ginger (Asarum canadense),
trillium (Trillium spp.),
alder (Alnus spp.),
cottonwood (Populus spp.),
maple (Acer spp.),
oak (Quercus spp.),
basswood (Tilia spp),
birch (Betula spp.)

Range: Nova Scotia to northern Florida, west to Manitoba, western South Dakota and eastern Texas; common to the Appalachian range.

Cultivation: India, Europe and western United States.

Pests/Diseases: Deer, groundhogs, and turkey are threats to the above ground portions.  Cercospora sanguinariae, Cylindrosporium circinans, Gloeosporium sanguinariae, and Phyllosticta sanguinariae are leaf spot diseases affecting bloodroot. When the ground is too moist, slugs forage on the plants. Overly saturated soil also increases the likelihood of diseases like Pythium parecandrum attacking the roots. Alternaria leaf blight and Botrytis are very common threats to bloodroot patches (Greenfield, 2004, and Persons, 2005).

Other threats: Deforestation and over-harvesting of wild populations for nursery use are possibly the biggest pressures on the species. Another decrease in some populations may be directly related to ant species diversity. In some areas invasive fire ants have replaced native ants. This affects bloodroot reproduction through decreased seed distribution, unfavorable deposit locations, increased seed susceptibility to rodent predation, decreased seed viability due to seed coat damage through mishandling, and increased asexual reproduction (Faurot, 2004, Cech, 2002, Predney, 2005, and Montgomery, 2000).

Conservation status: Listed as “at risk” by United Plant Savers, which recommends using only cultivated sources or substitutes such as celandine or rosemary. As far back as 1898, bloodroot was mentioned in a text by John Uri Lloyd as “rapidly becoming scarce in the New England states, where it formerly grew in great abundance” (Faurot, 2004, Cech, 2002, Predney, 2005, Persons, 2005, and Montgomery, 2000).