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dutchman's breeches
Scientific Name: Dicentra cucullaria
Family: Fumariaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Forb/herb
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)
Dutchman's breeches, scientifically known as Dicentra cucullaria, is a charming spring wildflower native to North American woodlands. Its unique flower shape, resembling upside-down pantaloons, gives it its distinctive common name.
Considerations for Pets
- The plant is potentially poisonous.
Considerations for Children
- The plant is potentially poisonous and can cause skin irritation.
- The plant grows from an underground, scaly bulb.
Common Names
- Dutchman's Breeches
- Staggerweed
- Blue Staggers
- Soldier's Cap
- Fairy Candles
- Eardrops
- Monk's Head
- Butterfly Banners
- Bachelor's Breeches
- White Hearts
- Boy Britches
- Little Boy Britches
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Dicentra cucullaria (L.) Bernh.
- Family: Papaveraceae (Poppy Family) or Fumariaceae (Fumitory Family) - *Note: Classifications vary.
- Synonyms: Bicuculla cucullaria, Dicentra cucullaria var.
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to rich woods of eastern North America.
- Also found in a disjunct population in the N.E. American region.
- Typically found in shaded woodland areas, forest floors, and rocky slopes.
- Prefers locations where sunlight reaches the woodland floor in early spring.
Morphological Characteristics
- Herbaceous perennial plant, typically 4-8 inches tall.
- Low, delicate herb with slender leafstalks and flowerstalks.
- Leaves are lacy and 3-parted, bluish-green, and fernlike.
- Flowers are white with pale yellow "wings" at the base and two upward-facing spurs.
- Grows from an underground, scaly bulb.
- Stemless; leaves and flowering stalks arise from flattened, scaly bulbs about 2 inches beneath the surface.
Ecological Role
- A true spring woodland ephemeral, flowering early in the spring.
- Goes dormant and disappears after flowering.
- Benefits from the rapid formation of humus on a deciduous woodland floor.
- Flowers are without aroma but use contrasting yellow and white colors to attract pollinators, namely early-flying queen bees.
Quirky Facts
- The flowers resemble pantaloons hanging upside down.
- The plant is also referred to as "white hearts" due to the flower's resemblance to a small, wild version of the bleeding heart.
Blooming Period
- Flowers very early in the spring, typically at the end of April, but sometimes closer to mid-May.