Sanguinaria canadensis
| Sanguinaria canadensis | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 3 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Sanguinaria canadensis (common name: blood root)
Propagation: Seed - can be sown in the spring or late summer in an outdoor seedbed. We would advise sowing in pots in a cold frame, preferably as soon as the seed is ripe, otherwise in late winter[K]. Stratification can improve germination rates. The seed produces a root after the first stratification but then requires a warm period and another cold one before a shoot is produced. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter in pots. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late summer as they die down.
Division in August after the leaves die down[1], or in early spring[2]. The plant has brittle roots and so should be handled carefully[3].
Cuttings of half-ripe shoots in late spring in a frame.
Cultivation: Prefers a sandy soil but it is not fussy so long as the ground is not water-logged[1]. Requires a leafy soil in a cool position in the shade of deciduous trees[2][4]. Thrives in sun or shade according to another report[1]. Plants grow freely in Britain if they are given a suitable site, and have even succeeded in an open position in a dry gravelly soil[5]. Tolerates a pH range from 5 to 7, or perhaps a bit higher[6].
Dormant plants are hardy to at least -20°c[4].
A very ornamental plant[1], but the flowers are very short-lived[4]. It can succeed in grass[1]. Plants are generally free of disease[6].
Polymorphic[1].
There is at least one named form with double flowers[4].
Range: Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Arkansas and N. Florida, west to Nebraska.
Habitat: Rich soils in open broad-leaved woodland and on shaded slopes[7][8][9][4].
Medicinal: Blood root was a traditional remedy of the native North American Indians who used it to treat fevers and rheumatism, to induce vomiting and as an element in divination[10]. In modern herbalism it is chiefly employed as an expectorant, promoting coughing and the clearing of mucus from the respiratory tract[10].
The root is locally anaesthetic, cathartic, emetic, emmenagogue, expectorant, diuretic, febrifuge, sedative, stimulant, tonic[5][7][11][9]. It is taken internally in the treatment of bronchial, respiratory tract and throat infections, and poor peripheral circulation[3]. Use with caution and preferably only under the guidance of a qualified practitioner[3]. The root is toxic[7][9][12], containing a number of opium-like alkaloids that are also found in other members of this family[13][3]. An excessive dose depresses the central nervous system, causes nausea and vomiting, and may prove fatal[3]. This remedy should not be prescribed for pregnant or lactating women[3]. Externally, the root is used in the treatment of skin diseases, warts, nasal polyps, benign skin tumours, sore throats and chilblains[3]. An infusion of the root or the sap of the fresh root is used[14]. The root can be harvested in the autumn, dried and stored for later use. It should not be allowed to become damp since it will then deteriorate[5][13].
Sanguinarine, which is obtained from the root, is used as a dental plaque inhibitor[3].
The root is used to make a homeopathic remedy that is used to treat migraine[3].
Usage: A red dye is obtained from the sap of the root[5][11][15][16][17]. It was used as a face paint by the North American Indians[6][13]. Caution is advised, see notes on toxicity[18].
The crushed root has been applied to the body as an insect repellent[13]. Caution is advised, see notes on toxicity[18].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Early Spring-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: This species contains many alkaloids and is poisonous in large doses[5][7][11][9]. This herb should not be used by women when they are pregnant or lactating[9]. The sap, fresh or dried, can cause intense irritation to the mucous membranes[18].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ Saunders, Charles. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1976.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.