Gothic Gardening: Theme Gardens

Le Jardin Sanguinaire

Bloodroot

This plant has clusters of blue-green foliage and small white flowers. The root was used for burn poultices, digestive remedies, and to loosen phlegm. Too much, however, is deadly. This has the pleasant scientific name of Sanguinaria.

Bleeding Heart

The leaves of this plant are fern-like, and the flowers hang from arched branches. Two of the petals of the flower are pink and form the shape of a puff heart, while the other two smaller petals seem to "bleed" from the puff.

Bleeding Heart vine

From a completely different family than the Bleeding Heart bush, Clerodendrum thomsonae has clusters of blooms that have a white 'puff' with a small crimson flower hanging down from the puff. This is also known as Glory Bower.

Dragon's Blood Sedum

This plant is a succulent, only 3 or 4 in tall, that forms a dense mat. In summer, it's covered with star-shaped crimson flowers. In autumn, the deep green foliage takes on a maroonish cast.

Sacred Heart Cathedral Gladiolus

The blooms on the spike of this gladiolus are white with a rich burgundy-red center. The spikes are up to 22 inches high, with 20 or more flowers on each one.

Blood Berries

In summer, these have small, nondescript flowers, but by autumn there are profuse clusters of pea-sized red berries.

Heartseed

Also known as the cloyingly sweet Love-in-a-Puff, the scientific name is Cardiospermum, and is derived from the fact that the seed pod can be popped to reveal black seeds with a white heart mark.

Love-Lies-Bleeding

The flowers are long, dangling ropes of tiny deep burgundy blossoms. These rich, wine-colored tassels cascade off of a leafy vine. In medieval times, these flowers were thought to represent incorruptibility.

String of Hearts

Also known as the Rosary Vine, this vine has fleshy, purple, heart-shaped leaves, which are marbled with silver.

Blood Lily

This bulb,Haemanthus , produces an 8" scarlet sphere. The sphere is made up of hundred of small scarlet florets. These are very easy to take care of, since they apparently thrive on neglect.

Blood Flower

Asclepias curassavica has clusters of ten or so orange-red flowers. The genus name is derived from the Greek god of medicine, Asklepios, and this plant can be used to induce vomiting and to expel worms.

Aerlie Red Flesh Apple

Just what it says, this is an apple with red flesh in the fruit. Bill's Red Flesh is also available. :)

'King's Blood' Tulips

Radiant red tulips that deepen color at the petal edges.

Blood Leaf

This plant, Iresine lindenii, is a native of Ecuador. It can grow up to two feet high and has narrow, pointed leaves that are deep red.

Bloodvein Sage

The gray-green leaves of this sage have red veins, hence the name.

Bloody Butcher Ornamental Corn

Also known as 'Red Stalker', this corn has beautiful red stalks and husks. The cobs have wine-red kernels, with a sprinkling of darker ones.

Blood-red Crane's-Bill

This geranium forms dense, foot high mounds of foliage which turns bright red in the fall. The flowers, present all throughout the summer, are red-purple.

Blood-leafed Japanese Maple

Japanese maples are one of my favorite trees, and Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' has deep purplish-red leaves and is cold tolerant.

Japanese Blood Grass

Imperata 'Red Baron' is a brilliant red grass, about 2 foot high. It would make a striking border.