Bloodroot is a spring flowering perenial native to eastern North America. The short-lived (~2 days) flowers bloom in early spring before the sigle leaf unfolds. When open, the leaf has five to nine lobes and is about 3 to 5 inches across. Bloodroot plants have a reddish rhizome with a bright orange sap. The plant produces alkaloids like the toxin sanguinarine, which can kill animals by blocking the action of Na+/K+-ATPase transport proteins.