Bloodroot

Sanguinaria canadensis

Found in moist nutrient-rich forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

Good

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height: 6–8 inches
Spread: 3–6 inches
Light: Deep shade, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Space about 1 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 100 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Sanguinaria canadensis — flower photograph — Terry.grignon · CC0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Bloom: April to May
Fruiting season: April to May

JFMAMJJASOND

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 62 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 109 animals.

Brown-headed Cowbird
Molothrus ater
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Dendroica pensylvanica
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eurasian Collared-dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Evening Grosbeak
Coccothraustes vespertinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Long-eared Owl
Asio otus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Mississippi Kite
Ictinia mississippiensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Aegolius acadicus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Prothonotary Warbler
Protonotaria citrea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta canadensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

2CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Sanguinaria

Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

4BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Sanguinaria

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Sanguinaria

Pheucticus ludovicianusRose-breasted Grosbeak

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

20AntsRecorded seed interactions

Aphaenogaster flemingi
Aphaenogaster fulva
Aphaenogaster rudis
Aphaenogaster texana
Aphaenogaster unknown
Camponotus castaneus
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Camponotus unknown
Crematogaster ashmeadi
Crematogaster unknown

Show all 20

Formica pallidefulva
Formica subsericea
Lasius alienus
Lasius unknown
Leptothorax unknown
Myrmica punctiventris
Myrmica scabrinodis
Myrmica unknown
Solenopsis invicta
Stenamma unknown

Aphaenogaster rudis: Seed dispersal.

Formica subsericea: Seed dispersal.

Lasius alienus: Seed dispersal.

Myrmica punctiventris: Seed dispersal.

Aphaenogaster rudis: Seed dispersal; Seed predation.

Aphaenogaster rudis: Seed predation.

Aphaenogaster rudis: Seed dispersal.

Solenopsis invicta: Seed dispersal.

Aphaenogaster flemingi: Seed dispersal.

Aphaenogaster fulva: Seed dispersal.

Aphaenogaster texana: Seed dispersal.

Camponotus castaneus: Seed dispersal.

Crematogaster ashmeadi: Seed dispersal.

Formica pallidefulva: Seed dispersal.

Formica subsericea: Seed dispersal.

Solenopsis invicta: Seed dispersal.

Aphaenogaster unknown: Seed dispersal.

Camponotus unknown: Seed dispersal.

Crematogaster unknown: Seed dispersal.

Lasius unknown: Seed dispersal.

Leptothorax unknown: Seed dispersal.

Myrmica unknown: Seed dispersal.

Stenamma unknown: Seed dispersal.

Aphaenogaster rudis: Seed dispersal.

Camponotus pennsylvanicus: Seed dispersal.

Formica subsericea: Seed dispersal.

Lasius alienus: Seed dispersal.

Myrmica punctiventris: Seed dispersal.

Myrmica scabrinodis: Seed dispersal.

Stenamma unknown: Seed dispersal.

Aphaenogaster rudis: Seed dispersal.

Solenopsis invicta: Seed dispersal; Seed predation.

Beetles 1

Asclera ruficollis

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Flies 1

Syrphus americanus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Papaveraceae
Hardiness: Zones 3–8
Flower color: White
Fruit begins: April
Fruit ends: May

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to May” · Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide · Nursery cultural guide; height in flower; moisture categories retained as printed
Flower color · “White” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Fruit begins · “April” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “May” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Hardiness · “Zones 3–8” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Height · “6–8 inches” · Tennessee Smart Yards (ranked first; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Minnesota Wildflowers, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ) · Published Tennessee growing guidance; exact cached scientific heading
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Deep shade (less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
primary_flower_color · “white” · Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide
Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia DCR Piedmont, Virginia DCR Coastal Plain, Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, Prairie Moon 2026 Cultural Guide differ)
Spread · “3–6 inches” · Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder

Conservation status

Alabama rank	SNR
Global rank	G5
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

Self-seeds. Can self-sow in good locations. Tennessee Smart Yards

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Bloodroot

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Growing cautions

Sources

More Sanguinaria