Bloodroot Powder

Potent and increasingly rare, bloodroot is best handled with care. The pretty, white-flowered spring ephemeral is native to eastern North America and is easily identified by the red sap that oozes from any cuts to the plant. The vibrant sap is referenced in the common name “bloodroot” and genus Sanguinaria.

Bloodroot’s “root” is actually a fleshy rhizome covered with fibrous roots. Native Americans used the rhizomes for paints and dyes as well as medicinally. The bloodroot powder is still used to produce natural red, orange, and pink dyes and is the source for sanguinarine, an alkaloid with antibacterial effects. Sanguinarine was briefly, historically an ingredient in toothpastes and mouthwashes; bloodroot is now primarily used in contemporary herbal medicine as an expectorant.

A potential anti-cancer agent, bloodroot powder is being studied (in micro doses) as a treatment for skin cancer. Extracts, tinctures, and ointments for skin problems should only be used externally with professional supervision. Bloodroot is toxic and should not be ingested.