Dutchman’s Breeches – Simcoe County Master Gardener

Simcoe County Master Gardeners

Grow Natives!

PLANT PROFILE

COMMON NAME: Dutchman’s Breeches

BINOMIAL: Dicentra cucullaria

Family	Papaveraceae (formerly Fumariaceae)
Cdn Native Range	Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba
Natural habitat	deciduous woods and clearings, in rich loam soils, often found at the bases of trees
Type	herbaceous perennial; spring ephemeral (dormant by midsummer)
Features	delicate fern-like foliage with flowers that look like upside-down pair of pants
Growth habit	deeply cut, delicate fern-like gray green foliage; clusters of flowers are borne in a row drooping from leafless stems arching above the foliage
Mature height	25 cm (10 in)
Mature spread	30–40 cm (12–5 in)
Life span	perennial (spring ephemeral)
Cdn Hardiness Zone	3–7
Growing conditions	part shade to full shade
Soil conditions	will benefit from a layer of leaf litter; humus rich, neutral to alkaline, well-drained
Watering needs	evenly moist soil with good drainage
Fertilizer needs	compost; natural mulch (leaflitter)
Tolerance	rabbit browsing
Maintenance rank	medium
Maintenance needs	Leaflitter is critical – loss of leaf litter will almost guarantee loss of the plant. Goes dormant by midsummer.
Bloom	blooms in late April – early May with showy white flowers
Fruit	n/a
Pollinator support	early nectar source; of special value to bumblebees
Environmental support	the seeds are a food source for ants who take the seeds back to their nests aiding in dispersal of the seeds
Garden Use	puts on an impressive display in early spring; best naturalized in woodland, wildflower or native plant settings
Risks & Cautions	the plant may cause minor skin irritation with repeated contact

References: Rick Gray and Shaun Booth. The Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region. Firefly Books, 2024; Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/plantfinder/plantfindersearch.aspx