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| From In the Garden |
Thank goodness I have a (as in ONE flower) wildflower blooming otherwise you all would have had to look at the starts of wildings in the garden (my backup plan). I'd have to make sure all I showed were natives which is not an easy thing to do and you all really didn't want to look at plants without flowers did you? Good thing we have a bloom.
The pretty little flower pictured above is Bloodroot, aka Sanquinarea canadensis. I actually thought it was cutleaf toothwort but could not find a flower named toothwort that looked like this one. Then the light came on and I could see the foliage better and see that it is clearly bloodroot. In my defense the bloodroot has been here for one year and is just now showing up. The foliage on this clump was not particularly striking but it is there. Hence the confusion with my flowers. (Okay, I am learning, albeit slowly).
I planted the bloodroot in an area that resembles its native area in that it is in shade, on a slight hill with good drainage, and the soil has lots of organic matter. I am slowly adding more native wildflowers to this area and even though it is in the back 40, it is an area I find myself walking to quite a bit lately. This bloodroot has been here for one year and did go dormant last summer. I had forgotten all about it until I saw it sprouting up just a week or so ago.
I watched this one lone flower stem until about 2 pm yesterday when it gifted me with the bloom. Whew! There are lots of flowers blooming here but none, much to my dismay, can be considered true natives. Most flowers in bloom here at this time have naturalized but were at one point introduced (think pulmonaria, scilla, glory of the snow, crocuses and others) and I was adamant I could display a true native flower today. So my hat is off to the bloodroot for saving my day! There should be plenty more natives to choose from for next month's Wildflower Wednesday, a big relief for me and perhaps you too.
Join Gail at Clay and Limestone for more wildflowers....
in the garden....
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,
In the Garden
Tina,
ReplyDeleteGlad your native garden is perking up! I planted some of those woodland plox that sweetBay raved about last year. A week ago they looked pretty sad now they are jumping back into the game!
There is something so clean and fresh about Bloodroot. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWildflowers are just starting here Tina. You are really lucky to have one blooming in your yard. I would love to have the space for naturalized wildflowers. That would be my vision of heaven! :) The hardest wildflowers for me to identiy are the yellows. Hope you have lots of those!
ReplyDeleteHave a great day!
Linda
Tina, I love Bloodroot and have a few flowers this year. In fact more then ever before...Maybe the cooler winter helped it along, but I am so glad to have it! Thanks for joining Wildflower Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteGrowild will be having their annual open house and sale Friday April 30 and Saturday May 1, 2010~You can get native plants there!
Gail
I don't think we have those around here. I love wildflowers! I even love the ones that most people consider weeds! Carla
ReplyDeleteI like the leaves on bloodroot a lot. They have a very interesting shape.
ReplyDeleteNeat plant but I haven't seen any around here. Unfortunately the only wildflowers present near us are the naturalized yellow Taraxacum officinale, but of course it's not native!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful bloom, Tina. I'm not really familiar with the bloodroot either I had to look it up just the other day.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Tina. I'll have to check my father's garden for signs. I like the bloodroots, interesting and so tiny. The foliage is pretty too.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
Bloodroot is a beautiful native. When we lived in PA we used to go to a couple of parks that had vast colonies.
ReplyDeleteI was going to say....that's a wildflower! One of my tech gave me some one year but it has not flowered. So cute.
ReplyDeleteI planted one many years ago, and it has spread very slowly. One of the most beautiful and also most ephemeral, only lasts a few days and is gone, but I love it!
ReplyDeleteRandy, Those woodland phlox are awesome and smell good! They last a long time too. I do have some of them and am looking forward to seeing them soon. The bloodroot is a small and newer addition but native-finally I am adding some.
ReplyDeleteLes, It sure is and once I figured out it was bloodroot it seemed even fresher:)
Linda, I have a perfect spot for wildflowers behind hubby's garage but it is a small spot so I am wondering which wildflower will be dominant? Bloodroot is looking really strong. Your blue bonnets should be out soon. I noticed I had some seeds sprout in my wheelbarrow of blue bonnets so I am most excited. Let's see if I can grow them to bloom.
Gail, I am watching GroWild for sure. Our master gardeners have a trip planned for the following weekend and they are giving us the same discount. I am thinking I am going to go with them but haven't decided yet. I am getting pretty specific on what I want and am looking more to older perennials and the unusual so I have to figure it out if I'm even going. I really enjoyed it last fall when I went and purchased a spicebush, blackhaw and two winged. It's great they have two days this year.
Carla, The wildflowers are definitely pleasant. And easy too.
HOw it Grows, Oh yes, you can't mistake the leaves for anything else. Had I been looking at them I'd have had an easier time.
Dave, We sure don't want dandelions around. I've been busy pulling them and chickweed and omg, all sorts of things. Sometimes it is a neverending battle.
Lzyjo, They should be easily found in woods. The root can actually be used for coloring and I think it was Indians that used it for painting their faces? I have a friend who grows it and she demonstrated the process. It's cool.
Marnie, That foliage is really cool. When it began coming up I couldn't tell what it was until the leaves uncurled. They are neat.
Sweetbay, That must have been a sight to see.
Dawn, Yup, a few wildflowers grow here and I'm trying to add more. I have a natural area that I call my 'wild' area. Perfect for wildflowers. Be on the lookout for it up there and you can join in with WW?
Isadora, It is a lovely thing for sure. I am hoping it spreads and keeps those durned old wild strawberries at bay.
Tina it's great you can transplant native plants into your garden. IU'm interested to see photos of your other plants.
ReplyDeleteIt's a pretty flower indeed. It looks quite humble, actually. Simple and beautiful. Your garden is a magical place.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
Lovely bloom, Tina..... Very beautiful..I love that color combo...It feels ELEGANT....
ReplyDeleteAsh....
(http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)
I love that little plant. I have one here, last year I had one leaf, his year I have 4 leaves, no sign yet of any flowers. Luckily I like the leaves just as much, but it's fun to see what the flowers will look like if and when mine ever decides to bloom.
ReplyDeleteSuch a pretty little flower. I know I've heard of bloodroot before, but don't think I've ever seen it. I'm glad that little one chose to bloom at the right time for you :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting that you posted this because I just finished a novel by that name last night..one of the best I've read in a while.
ReplyDeleteit is really, well, to use AshKuku word, elegant. Yes, elegant is just what I think of that pretty flower.
ReplyDeleteOh Tina, horrors on Dawn doing WW. She has the perfect Wednesdays. Oh well, I guess she could change it to another day.
I love bloodroot! It is so cute. The foliage is incredible. They are just starting to bloom here too.
ReplyDeleteI adore bloodroot, it's one of my fave Michigan natives. When it first comes up, its red foliage is unmistakable (I tried Googling for a photo, but couldn't find one)... but blink and you miss it! (Esp. if you have leaf mulch.)
ReplyDeleteI envy you for that one bloom – cold and rainy in Maine. My one sprouted crocus is closed against the chill. What a lovely flower, shame about the name.
ReplyDeleteMy Sanguinarias are just starting to stick their noses up out of the ground. With all the rain last spring and the cool summer last year, the foliage of mine didn't go dormant, but turned a gorgeous yellow in fall. I guess that's what it really likes, moisture & cool temperatures.
ReplyDeleteSuch a pretty little flower, Tina; glad it bloomed just in time for you. Wildflowers are something lacking in my garden...unless you count some of the weeds around the barn and sheds:) Right now I am thrilled just to have some crocuses finally blooming.
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty little wildflower and so obliging to open up befoe your very eyes in time for this post! I see my woodland garden is once again loaded with clumps of tiny wild irises.
ReplyDeleteBusy morning in court today and so interesting. I am enjoying it and learning so much about our county and residences and the court system...
ReplyDeleteTina, this is a pretty little flower. And just how small is this flower? I assume this is a close up shot of it and they can be so deceiving. I found a wildflower in our woods over the weekend. It was ever so tiny and I will share it soon.
Pretty little flower. I had seen these in N.C. Yep, I was told that the Indians use the root for coloring. Neat.
ReplyDeletenative wildflowers should be planted in an area as close to what they are used because so often they don't survive otherwise. You did good and great that it did come back.
ReplyDeleteHi all, Busy as a bee in the garden and exhausted when I come in. Lately I do most of my blogging the first thing in the morning. I sure hope no one feels slighted if I don't respond to each commenter. I try but sometimes get behind. Special hugs go to everyone who takes the time to comment though.
ReplyDeleteSkeeter, This flower is about the size of a quarter. Pretty big for a wildflower. The bud looked like nothing though, very small.
I am so glad that your Bloodroot opened up in time. I cannot wait to see what other kinds of native wildflowers you have next month :-)
ReplyDeleteI love watching wild flowers bloom in spring! Hubby calls some of them weeds... well what does he know! :)
ReplyDeleteWonder why it is called bloodrot??
ReplyDeletegorgeous bloom as it stands alone.
ReplyDeletehappy springtime, tina.
I've heard of bloodroot before but had not seen it. It sure looks pretty and I'm glad you've got something (native) blooming.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any natives blooming yet so Wildflower Wednesday at our place has pictures from previous years.