
Carolina redroot
Lachnanthes caroliniana
Lachnanthes is a genus of monocotyledonous plants in the bloodwort family containing only one species, i.e.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lachnanthes
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Order
Commelinales
Family
Haemodoraceae
Genus
Lachnanthes
Carolina redroot belongs to the family Haemodoraceae, order Commelinales, within the Liliopsida class.
Species Profile
Lachnanthes is a genus of monocotyledonous plants in the bloodwort family containing only one species, i.e., Lachnanthes caroliana (caroliniana), commonly known as Carolina redroot or bloodroot. The plant is native to eastern North America, from southeastern Nova Scotia and Massachusetts in the north, south to Florida and Cuba, and west along the Gulf of Mexico to Louisiana. It has also been reported from an island in the western Caribbean off the coast of Honduras. It prefers wet, acidic, usually sandy soils, restricting it to various wetland habitats such as bogs, pinelands, hammocks and pocosins, among others.
Carolina redroot faces significant population declines primarily due to habitat loss from coastal development, agricultural conversion, and wetland drainage. Climate change and sea level rise pose additional threats to its specialized wetland habitats, while altered hydrology from human activities disrupts the specific moisture conditions this species requires.
Key Facts
Threats
IUCN Red List: Endangered
Carolina redroot faces significant population declines primarily due to habitat loss from coastal development, agricultural conversion, and wetland drainage. Climate change and sea level rise pose additional threats to its specialized wetland habitats, while altered hydrology from human activities disrupts the specific moisture conditions this species requires.
Habitat loss from coastal development
Wetland drainage and conversion
Agricultural land conversion
Altered hydrology from human activities
Sea level rise and climate change
Community Sightings
Report a sightingNo community sightings yet. Be the first to report!
Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Carolina redroot (Lachnanthes caroliniana). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/carolina-redroot