Hello, spring!  Bloodroot is one of the first of the native wildflowers to bloom just after the final thaw, poking up from the ground and revealing large white petals cradling a cheery, yellow center.
 
     It makes a perfect and beautiful ground cover for shady spots and is native to moist woods, shady slopes and floodplains.  Try it under the dappled shade of your deciduous trees or in a moist spot at the wood's edge.
 
     Bloodroot's flowers disappear by mid-summer but its beautiful notched and round foliage live on into fall.
 
     Fun fact: Bloodroot refers to the bright, reddish-orange sap that appears when any part of the plant is cut.  Native Americans used the sap for color. :)