Bloodroot

Bloodroot in Woodlands, Madison Wisconsin

Bloodroot in Woodlands © 2011 Bo Mackison

Though finding flowers in bloom has been a bit of a challenge in Wisconsin this spring, I found several stands of bloodroot in the woodland area of the Allen Centennial Gardens at the university of Wisconsin in Madison. It’s name has nothing to do with “blood” — the sap of the flower is a bright red color, similar to the color of blood. The sap has been used as a dye by Native Americans.

Though it is typically found in the cooler, eastern regions of the United States and Canada, it can be found as far south and west as Texas. It is a common ephemeral flower in the woods of Wisconsin, blooming before the trees leaf out and block the sunlight from reaching the forest floor.

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I am back in Wisconsin after spending the first part of 2011 in Arizona, and beginning to see hints of a late arriving Spring as she quietly tiptoes into Wisconsin.