Bloodroot - Sanguinaria canadensis

[Zonedenial]

When they are just opening, I don't think there is a more elegant flower in the garden than S. canadensis multiplex:

[Lis Allison]

... The form I have grown has quite strong pink buds but opens almost pure white. ....

I just received S. canadensis 'Don Armstrong' from Wrightman Alpines. It has one small flower on it and it looks very pink! Now if I can keep it happy.... should get some good pictures next year!

[McDonough]

Don, I certainly agree, the flowers are elegant, albeit, somewhat briefly presented, particularly if receiving warm weather.  Mine went over quickly once some unusually warm weather arrived, in the mid 80s F.  I'm amazed at just how quickly the leaves enlarge, rather pretty leaves I think, large textured fans.  In the photo, the flowers just shattered their petals.



Lis, I have not heard of the 'Don Armstrong' selection, so I visited the Wrightman Alpines page, where the variety is descibed, but no photo.  In fact, could not find a photo of it on the web.  So please do post a photo next week!

[Lis Allison]

OK, I've tried three times now to post a picture of S. canadensis 'Don Armstrong'. It doesn't show in the preview, and the post gets a database error. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG??

[McDonough]

OK, I've tried three times now to post a picture of S. canadensis 'Don Armstrong'. It doesn't show in the preview, and the post gets a database error. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG??

Occasionally people have reported experiencing latency or slowness on the forum, particulatly lately, I have experienced this too, where it often takes more than one attempt to successfully upload photos, and we get the "datebase error" message.  Some things to check and some tips:

Make sure your photo is resized to be under 500 kb in file size. 

Resize photos to be approximately a maximum of 760 pixels wide x 580 tall x 72 dpi.

Draft your message in a simple text editor (such as Notepad for Windows users), then paste into a forum message.

Or, if you prefer to draft the message right in a forum edit window (as I do), before attempting to attach any photos, do the following:
      1.  Copy your completed drafted message to the Windows clipboard (highlight whole message, the Ctrl-C)
      2.  Use the "back button" on your browser top go back to the view of the topic, leaving the edit window mode behind.
      3.  Then repeat hitting the "Reply" button or the "Quote" button to restart the edit window for your new message.
      4.  Paste in the drafted message from the Windows clipboard (Ctrl-V) or from your text editor such as Notepad.
      5.  Then go to additional options and select your photos to attach.
          (Note:  the "preview" mode in NARGS Forum editor window does not show photos, it only displays your text)
      6.  Uncheck "return to this topic, not sure why, but it helps with avoiding the database error message.  Then click Post.

What I have found, is that if a certain amount of time elapses while drafting a message, and then one attempts to attach photos, the database error happens more often.  So, the procedure above helps to minimize the elapsed time of being in the edit window, and makes posting photos more successful.  There is a topic over on the SRGC Forum where they experience the same problem sometimes; NARGS and SRGC are using the same forum software, thus we experience similar problems.

I hope that helps.

[Lis Allison]

Awright, sportsfans, let's try that.

Here is (hopefully) a (poor) picture of S. canadensis 'Don Armstrong'. A better picture will have to wait for next year as the flower is already falling apart and has gotten pretty white anyway. As well, I'm going to try to post a picture of my multi-petal form which is very pink in the bud and pale pink the first day, then fades to white. Just because I like that flower!

[Lis Allison]

OK, except that they came out in the other order, that worked. Whew. My faith is restored! Thanks, Mark!

[Lori S.]

Lis, here's another way around the problem... if you get the message that your entry can't be posted, copy all text from it, then go back one step on the browser by pressing the back arrow key.  Then press "Reply" again in the thread you are intending to respond to, paste in your copied text, reattach your photos, and press "Post".  It always works the second time, for whatever reason.

[cohan]

Both really nice, Lis.
The multi-petal form is very pretty, without triggering my 'too-much' gene 


What sort of soil preparation do folks give for Sanguinaria and other eastern NA woodlanders? Do you need a really high humus content, or are they fairly adaptable? My native soil is called 'grey-wooded' and does not have a deep humus layer except in wet areas, or areas of deep conifer duff, though I usually add some leafmould and or some black soil from an old pile where  was excavation was done to build our sewer  in a low  wet area...

[RickR]

Lori, that's what I do when posting photos doesn't work the first time, too.

Cohan, I don't do a lot of fussing with soil for native woodland wildflowers.  Just good garden soil and regular shredded leaf mulch left to decompose naturally.  What I have witnessed as devastating is flow of subsoil material from construction leaching and creeping over the surface (downhill) where wildflowers grow.  I never realized, before, how much actual good those silt fences that separate a construction zone from outer environs do.

[cohan]

Thanks, Rick.. I'm not sure I have much of anything that could be described as garden soil...lol.. there are a few spots on the property that have some older plantings, though they have been a bit neglected in recent years, and probably not much different from the native soil, which is what I am working with generally- most of my new plantings are on previously uncultivated soils- drier and greyer at one end of the property, moister and blacker (at least on the surface!) at the other end- not counting the parts that are still native forest.. Most things, though, in terms of perennials and vegetables etc do just fine in our native soil with little or no moderation, though typically we add some rotted manure etc to actual veg plantings..
Interestingly, I've realised no place on the property is out of reach of falling spruce needles (nor poplar leaves)- even spots not that close to the trees, still within wind reach! Not sure how much impact that has on the soil, must have some....

[Hoy]

Do decomposed poplar leaves make a good compost? Aspen (and birch) leaves do not give any rich soil! Neither do oak nor beech leaves, they're very tough too. Maple, linden and elm leaves make better compost. Spruce, fir and pine needles make a very good soil for rhodos and other woodland plants.

My soil is black and very light. I make a lot of compost of all kind of plant and animal residue. I also mix in a lot of sand and something we call "subbus":


I grow the bloodroot in soil made of compost and "subbus". It seems to like that but not the common black soil here.

[Lis Allison]

If the Bloodroot plants around my area are anything to go by, I'd say they need good drainage and lean soil. The best colonies are on slopes under fairly light tree canopy. I've heard that some people have trouble keeping it going for more than a few years in their gardens - they tell me the clump collapses suddenly - and my guess is that they are giving it too rich conditions and the plant is suffering from the attendant increase in soil pathogens. The native orchids have the same problems in gardens, I think.

[cohan]

Trond, i have no idea what nutrients decomposed leaves have! We have aspen and balsam poplars and birches... willows are not enough in the yard to have any impact.. the leaves of those mentioned decompose quickly enough (if you can keep them moist- they can shed water in piles and stay completely dry inside if not turned regularly) and over several years will give a nice looking blackish stuff- usually still mixed with bits of leaves at the point I would use it-- but I have no idea what the nutrient content of that stuff is....

We have only a couple of very small maples, not enough to collect much in the way of leaves, same for my one modest linden...lol... no elms anywhere around here.. no oaks or beech either (in fact, I wouldn't know a beech if I saw it, and only a slight idea about elms but there are none here...lol)

Lis, thanks for the thoughts, I'll have to think about how it relates to my situation!

[Toole]

Pink in bud --faded quickly today --Sanguinaria canadensis close up.

Cheers Dave.