Faith, Folklore, and Friends

If you have the great opportunity of walking in the woods today, look closely.  I'll bet you can find some blood root.  Look for stark white petals poking up through brown leaves. bloodroot (ˈblʌdˌruːt)  ---noun    Also called: red puccoon; a North American papaveraceous plant, Sanguinaria canadensis, having a single whitish flower and a fleshy red root that yields a red dye.  ~ World English Dictionary The Ponca Indians of South Dakota and Nebraska used bloodroot as a love charm, rubbing the juice on the palm of a young bachelor. The Micmac Indians (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick) used the same plant both as an aphrodisiac and as an abortifacient. ~Daniel E. Moerman, Native American Ethnobotany Many wildflowers which we have transplanted to our gardens are full of magic and charm, while others are full of mystery.  In childhood I absolutely abhorred Bloodroot; it seemed to me a fearsome thing.  I rememb...

The morning broke cold but by early Sunday afternoon, it was warm enough for a walk on the TVA reservation.  The wildflowers are bursting out all over. Dutchman's Breeches were everywhere.  I've never seen so many at one time. They were perfect. Pretty sure this is Jacob's ladder, but feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I can always spot blood root.  Who would think these pretty white blossoms would come from roots that bleed? There were hundreds of trillium plants blooming, covering the hillsides. May-apple was abundant, too. It would be hard to find anything prettier than Carolina Bluebells. There were many other wildflowers just coming up, and will be in bloom before long.  The best part of the day was seeing all the children and parents out walking and riding bikes and laughing and welcoming the springtime.