Bloodroot

 One of the joys of spring is coming across bloodroot, sanguinara canadensis.

The plant, which is in the poppy family, was important in the culture of the ancient peoples. The distinctive red tones used to decorate blankets came from a dye made from bloodroot.

Each stalk has a single leaf. The leaf is wrapped around a single flower bud. As the leaf unfolds, a delicate white flower with a yellow eye is revealed. The flower opens and closes with the sun.

The flower lasts only a few days, and so I feel lucky whenever I see one. But on March 15, I saw a whole bank of them along the Yellow River.

I get overcome thinking about it, as the old Bluesmen used to say.