woodland wildflower
Cut-leaved toothwort
Cardamine concatenata
Also known as Cutleaf Toothwort, Pepper Root
1 of 2Native to much of the USA and southern Canada
Western Quebec to Minnesota and Nebraska, south to Gulf Coast states and eastern Kansas
- Light Full shade Sun tolerance
- Moisture Moist Moisture preference
- Zones 3–8 Cold to heat range
- Bloom Mar–May Flowering time
- Height
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A woodland wildflower for full shade and evenly moist soil. Its white flowers peak in April. Hardy in USDA zones 3–8.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
When it blooms
The Cut-leaved toothwort's white flowers bloom March to May, peaking in April. This spring display draws bees and butterflies.
Cut-leaved toothwort blooms white, pink & purpleFoliage
Pollinators & wildlife
- Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee
also Western Honey Bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee, Brown-belted Bumble Bee +51 more
Two-spotted Bumble Bee, American Bumble Bee, Ligated Furrow Bee, Pure Green Sweat bee, Perplexing Bumble Bee, Colletes inaequalis, Orange-legged Furrow Bee, Agapostemon texanus, Lemon Cuckoo Bumble Bee, Golden Sweat Bee, Confusing Furrow Bee, Spurred Ceratina, Blue Orchard Bee, Horn-faced Mason Bee, Carlin's Mining Bee, Dark-winged Sweat Bee, Black-and-yellow Nomad Bee, Taurus Mason Bee, Silky Striped Sweat Bee, Spotted Nomad Bee, Bufflehead Mason Bee, Frigid Mining Bee, Bristle Sweat Bee, Cresson's Mining Bee, Barbara's Mining Bee, Deep-blue Sweat Bee, Cherry Mining Bee, Ceratina dupla, Tridentate Miner, Experienced Sweat Bee, Osmia pumila, Mustard Miner Bee, Forbes' Mining Bee, Cresson's Nomad Bee, Toothed Miner Bee, Fox's Sweat Bee, Illinois Cuckoo Nomad Bee, white-winged sweat bee, Rugose Mining Bee, Nimble Ceratina, Trout-lily Mining Bee, Eucera belfragei, Nomada sayi, Bittercress Cuckoo Nomad Bee, Yellow-spotted Cuckoo Nomad Bee, Coelioxys alternata, Spring Beauty Miner, Dunning's Miner, Andrena miserabilis, Andrena sayi, Cuneate Nomad Bee - Butterflies Red Admiral
also Pipevine Swallowtail, American Lady, Viceroy +7 more
Eastern Comma, Falcate Orangetip, Olympia Marble, Cyaniris neglecta, West Virginia White, Celastrina ladon, Elkalyce comyntas - Flower flies Eastern Calligrapher
also Narrow-headed Marsh Fly, Greater Bee Fly, Black-shouldered Drone Fly +3 more
Hairy-eyed Flower Fly, Eastern Catkin Fly, Sphaerophoria cylindricus - Also visited by
- Beetles:
Spotted Pink Lady Beetle, Diabrotica longicornis +3 more
Onthophagus pennsylvanicus, Mordellistena biplagiata, Chlorophorus glaucus
- Beetles:
Butterflies that use this plant
Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.
- American ladynectar
- Eastern commanectar
- Pipevine swallowtailnectar
- Red admiralnectar
- Summer azurenectar
- Viceroynectar
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (37): AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV. Canada (3): NB, ON, QC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- Western Quebec to Minnesota and Nebraska, south to Gulf Coast states and eastern KansasThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Full shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- MoistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 3–8 · Canadian 4–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Rich, mesic to moist soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Water use
- MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Growth & form
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Mar–MayWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- White, Pink, PurpleThe bloom color, or colors.
- Fruit/Seeds
- Silique; ripens Apr–MayThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.