Bloodroot

Questions about bloodroot

Does bloodroot need sun or shade?

Bloodroot grows in part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning) and shade (less than 2 hours of direct sun, or bright dappled light).

It wants soil that stays evenly moist, rich in organic matter, and a good soak in dry spells.

What zones does bloodroot grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does bloodroot flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late March to mid April. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should bloodroot be planted?

8 in (20 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 10 in (25 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 8 in (20 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many bloodroot plants do I need?

At 8 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 27 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 16 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 86 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used 13 in two groups.

Is bloodroot poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: severe toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts, especially the root and its red sap, are highly poisonous if eaten. The sap can irritate skin.

Rated from NC State Extension. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like bloodroot?

These come closest to doing what bloodroot does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Liverleaf: the same job in a bed, the same size, the same flowering time and the same colour; medium leaves, not bold, wants average soil.
• Wherry's foamflower: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers early May to late June, medium leaves, not bold.
• Rue anemone: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers mid April to mid May, fine leaves, not bold.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat bloodroot?

They may. NC State does not list it as resistant to deer or rabbits. Where they visit, protect it, or plant it among ones they avoid.

What flowers after bloodroot?

Bloodroot is over by mid April. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• White trillium: from mid April to mid May, 16 in tall (a recorded partner).
• Bugleweed: from early May to late May, 6 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Lily of the valley: from early May to late May, 8 in tall.

What does bloodroot look like in winter?

Bloodroot has long gone by winter: it dies down in summer, soon after flowering, and comes back in spring.

Is bloodroot good for bees and butterflies?

Bloodroot is visited by bees, specialist bees and songbirds.

It is native to the United States.