Bloodroot is a beautiful spring ephemeral. Its flowers attract a variety of native bees, including bumblebees, little carpenter bees, Halictid bees, and Andrenid bees (illinoiswildflower.info). Any early source of nectar is a bonus for those early bees! Like a lot of woodland species, Bloodroot seeds are distributed by ants due to their fleshy appendages. The foliage and rhizomes contain an acrid reddish juice and are, thus, not often eaten by mammalian herbivores. It tends to go dormant around early to mid-summer.
Photo credit: Judy Gallagher
Bloodroot is a beautiful spring ephemeral. Its flowers attract a variety of native bees, including bumblebees, little carpenter bees, Halictid bees, and Andrenid bees (illinoiswildflower.info). Any early source of nectar is a bonus for those early bees! Like a lot of woodland species, Bloodroot seeds are distributed by ants due to their fleshy appendages. The foliage and rhizomes contain an acrid reddish juice and are, thus, not often eaten by mammalian herbivores. It tends to go dormant around early to mid-summer.
Photo credit: Judy Gallagher
Life Cycle: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Partial-Shade
Soil Moisture: Medium/wet – Med/dry
Height: 6 inches
Plant Spacing: 6-10 inches
Bloom Time: April-May
Bloom Color: White
Advantages: Pollinator Favorite, Deer Resistant, Great Landscaping plant
Host Plant: 1 species of moth uses this as a caterpillar host plant in our area (nwf.org)
Good Companions: Hepatica, Great White Trillium, Wild Blue Phlox, Spring Beauty, Wild Ginger
