Bloodroot

Bloodroot is also known as bloodwort, red puccoon root, and sometimes pauson. Bloodroot has also been known as tetterwort in America, although that name is used in Britain to refer to Greater Celandine. (Wikipedia)

Bloodroot is another of West Virginia’s plants that is hunted for profit. In 2001 it was selling for prices from $12.00 to $16.00 a pound. It takes about 4 pounds of wet bloodroot to make one pound of dry(300 to 500 plants). Although the plant has continued to grow well in this state, interest on digging it has declined greatly. “More trouble than it is worth” is what most root gatherers will tell you.

Bloodroot is normally found on the wet side of the mountain from the top to the bottom. It prefers cool shaded areas with minimal sunlight. I have never found just a single plant. It usually grows in groups with at least five to six plants. Oftentimes it grows in patches with up to 100 plants and sometimes even more than that. Like a lot of plants that are harvested for profit, bloodroot has medicinal properties but it is considered toxic.

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From… http://2bnthewild.com

Medical Uses: Native Americans, early settlers and herbal practitioners have prescribed Bloodroot for a myriad of medical conditions from skin cancers to sore throats. Its most persistent and possibly valid use takes advantage of the flesh destroying properties of the root juice or powdered root for treating conditions of the skin such as ringworm, warts, polyps, fungal growths and the like. Researchers are investigating the root’s value in cancer treatment. An extract has long been used in toothpaste and mouthwash to fight plaque and gingivitis and this use is now sanctioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The root has been used internally, in very small doses, to stimulate the digestive system and as an emetic. Self medication should be avoided, as the plant can be toxic. Even small doses can produce unwanted effects such as visual distortions.

Warning: The FDA considers Bloodroot “unsafe” and urges that it not be used by herbal healers.

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The root is red in color and when the root is broken it produces a sap that resembles blood. Hence the name Bloodroot.

This plants range of distribution covers all of the Untied States east of the Rockies. The plant blooms in early spring with a flower that is easily spotted. The flowering of the plant only occurs for about two months. The plant itself is one of the last to die out in the Fall.

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(Notice: The flowering plant image is used as per the owners image use policy. The other two images are my own.)
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