Bloodroot, also called red puccoon, is a flower that grows in Canada and the United States. It blooms in early spring. The plant’s leaves are kidney-shaped and deeply lobed. Each of the bloodroot’s stalks has one white or rose-tinted blossom. The plant contains a deep orange-red sap.
The bloodroot has been used in medicine to shrink swollen tissues. It contains tannin, a substance used in tanning leather. Indians once used the sap of the bloodroot as war paint. Today, the sap is used in toothpaste to help prevent plaque and to treat gum disease.
