Bloodroot

There are several plants not yet known to grow wild on PEI that I suspect are here somewhere. Although those in the photo have been planted, I was still very happy to get to see this species in-person. Meet the beautiful Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). 

Photo: Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) on PEI. These are planted.

Bloodroot is common on the mainland, where it’s most often found in hardwood forests and along streams and rivers. It’s one of the spring ephemerals, and its preferred habitat is similar to others of this group that DO grow on PEI. (I’ve written about some of these before, including Dutchman’s Breeches, Spring Beauty, and – most recently – Trout Lily).

Most of PEI’s spring ephemerals are rare due to centuries of land use and habitat loss. These are plants of remnant forests and intact riparian zones, and they normally aren’t found in areas that have been extensively disturbed. While there isn’t a lot of undisturbed habitat left on the Island, some remains.

The distribution of our plant communities contracted south during the last glaciation, and expanded north when the ice retreated. It’s possible that Bloodroot’s post-glacial northward dispersal was slower than that of its colleagues. If it didn’t make it to our region before the land bridge disappeared (about 6,000 years ago), the Northumberland Strait may have acted as a geographical barrier preventing its arrival.

However, Bloodroot uses the same dispersal methods as the other spring ephemerals that did make it to PEI, and it has overcome barriers elsewhere in its range. Maybe it was blocked by the Strait, maybe it was here historically but has since been extirpated, or maybe it’s still here just waiting to be found!

Bloodroot is a beautiful and interesting plant that gets its name from the rhizomes. When cut, they ooze a reddish sap that’s rich in toxic alkaloids that help protect the plant from predators. As the saying goes, ‘the dose makes the poison’ and Bloodroot has a long history of medicinal use – both good and bad.

It’s been traditionally used externally to treat sores, warts, and infections and internally for just about any ailment you can think of. More recently, Bloodroot extract was added to mouthwash and toothpaste in 1983 under the brand name Viadent. While it was shown to fight plaque and gingivitis, it also became associated with precancerous mouth lesions and was removed from these products in 2001.

Bloodroot’s greatest notoriety is as an ingredient in Black Salve, an alternative cancer treatment (it plays a role in the new Netflix series ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’). While Bloodroot extract has been shown to have antimicrobial and anticancer properties, it kills healthy cells along with cancerous ones; researchers are still working on how or if it can be used in modern medicine. Black Salve is corrosive, dangerous, and has been the cause of harms ranging from metastasis to secondary infections, severe disfigurement, and permanent tissue damage.

Whether Bloodroot can be more therapeutic than toxic remains to be seen, but I’m far more interested in it as a potential native species. I know it’s been planted in several spots, but if you’ve ever seen it growing wild on the Island, I’d love to hear about it. I’m hoping to someday solve this botanical mystery of PEI Untamed!