woodland wildflower

Dutchman's breeches

Dicentra cucullaria

Native to much of the USA and southern Canada

Eastern Quebec to Minnesota, south to northern Georgia, Alabama and eastern Kansas; also near the Columbia River in Washington, Oregon and Idaho

Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Moist Moisture preference
Zones 3–8 Cold to heat range
Bloom Apr–May Flowering time
Height up to 1 ft to 0.3 m
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

Full details, see below

In the garden

A woodland wildflower for sun through shade and evenly moist soil. At up to 1 ft, it tucks into shade gardens and woodland edges. Hardy in USDA zones 3–8.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Brown-belted Bumble Bee, Two-spotted Bumble Bee +27 more
American Bumble Bee, Tricolored Bumble Bee, Bombus fervidus, Perplexing Bumble Bee, Black-and-gold Bumble Bee, Half-black Bumble Bee, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Blue Orchard Bee, Carlin's Mining Bee, Black-and-yellow Nomad Bee, Bufflehead Mason Bee, Anthophora ursina, Colletes nudus, Triepeolus simplex, Nelumbo Masked Bee, Big-cheeked Angled-Mason, Heriades variolosa, Osmia collinsiae, Sphecodes confertus, Coelioxys alternata, Pseudopanurgus parvus, Nomada parva, Trout-lily Mining Bee, Eucera belfragei, Eucera dubitata, Blueberry Digger Bee
Butterflies Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

also Red Admiral, Protographium marcellus, Little Yellow +1 more
Anosia plexippus
Flower flies Eastern Calligrapher also Greater Bee Fly, Broad-headed Marsh Fly, Epistrophe emarginata
Also visited by
- Beetles: Mordellistena comata, Onthophagus pennsylvanicus
- Moths: Subgothic and Tricose Darts

Butterflies that use this plant

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (34): AL, AR, CT, DC, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV. Canada (6): MB, NB, NS, ON, PE, QC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Eastern Quebec to Minnesota, south to northern Georgia, Alabama and eastern Kansas; also near the Columbia River in Washington, Oregon and IdahoThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to 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 3–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Humus-rich, acid to neutral soils. Tolerates limestoneThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to medium (sandy to loamy)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: Acid to neutralThe acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).

Growth & form

Height: up to 1 ft (to 0.3 m)Typical mature height.
Spread: ~1 ft (0.3 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: ModerateA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: WildflowerWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: Apr–MayWhen it flowers.
Flower color: White, YellowThe bloom color, or colors.
Toxicity: Poisonous if eatenWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.