ok gang here it goes........this is my first hack at trying to help you guys indentfy wild roots and herbs.
i'll try to get ya'll a few diffrent plants each week.
our first plant is bloodroot...bloodroot grows in the same type of terrain as ginseng,goldenseal, indian turnips wild trilliums {all which will be coverd}
the terrain is shaded and the trees are mainly maples, dogwoods, hickory.....if it's got alot of oak you won't find much bloodroot...oak makes the ground to acidic.
a picture of the bloodroot woods
here are a few pics of bloodroot
the dug root before washing
and after
some folks confuse bloodroot with wild ginger....which itself was bought at one time but i know of no market now.
wild ginger pics
as you can see, the wild ginger roots are stringy......wild ginger also has an aromatic smell.....almost a pepper like ............some folks still collect it, dry it, put it in a coffee grinder and used as a seasoning.
when digging bloodroot i prefer a long handled rounpoint shovel........it keeps me from having to bend down and stay off my knees.......because after a long day in the woods your back and knees will probably hate you if ya don't.
i use my packbasket ........when i dig a bloodroot...i lift it up to my hand, shake off the dirt, and throw it in my basket,,,,,it's quicker than ya think.
i wash my bloodroot in a plastic tote ..use cool water......warm water can mush your roots.
then it's time to dry.........i sometimes put my bloodroot in a dehydrator....sometimes it's dry overnight........another method is to find ya some old window screens.......just make sure you get air to all sides because bloodroot is quite prone to mold.
once your bloodroot is dry......store it in paper sacks.........never store it in plastic bags.......plastic will draw moisture and can cause your roots to mold.
