Latin for Gardeners
February’s Native Maryland Plant
Sanguinaria canadensis L.
(san-gwin-AR-ee-uh ka-na-DEN-sis)
Common Name: Bloodroot, Puccoon, Red Puccoon
During this last month of winter, the winds blow cold. I remain patient and look for any hint of spring – any sign of renewed life. One of the plants I eagerly await is Sanguinaria canadensis, a graceful ephemeral that will be easy to recognize – its pure white petals will stand out against the blackness of the forest where it grows.
I admire the behavior of this plant; early on it appears as if it’s giving itself a warm embrace – slowly releasing its hold as the ground warms. During long winter days, or during challenging times, an embrace can make all the difference.
The Bloodroot flower will bloom for just a few days, bringing light to an otherwise dark woodland. If after a few days the flower is unable to attract a pollinator, the stamen will lean in, reaching to transfer pollen from the anthers to the stigma and will self-pollinate, a process known as autogamy (1). The flower produces pollen, no nectar; it feeds early bees while its toxic sap makes it unpalatable to herbivores.
Bloodroot exhibits another interesting behavior: nyctinasty (2); a type of plant movement whereby the petals close due to nightly changes in light intensity or temperature – times when pollinators are less active. Visiting the flowers early on a cool morning you can observe these movements, which are quite mesmerizing, they can provide a much-needed feeling of hope.
“Where there’s life there’s hope,”
(1) the process by which a flower’s own pollen fertilizes its own ovules.
(2) the circadian rhythm-based nastic movement of higher plants in response to the onset of darkness.
Alison Milligan – MG/MN 2013
Watershed Steward Class 7/Anne Arundel Tree Trooper
Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional (CBLP)
aligmilligan@gmail.com