Plant Sale 2025 — Dicentra cucullaria
Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) gets its name from the shape of its blooms and it grows six to twelve inches tall. They look like little white pantaloons hanging upside down. In April to May four to ten white or pink flowers hang off stalks that are five to ten inches long. By mid-summer the plant will disappear only to reappear again the following spring.Bumblebees pollinate these woodland beauties since they have proboscises long enough to get to the nectar. Ants are responsible for spreading its seeds (the process is called myrmecochory). This pretty woodland plant thrives in moist shady woodlands. A common nickname is Little Blue Staggers because of its ability to induce drunken staggering if cattle graze on it, due to narcotic and toxic substances in this poppy related genus. Since this plant is poisonous, it is usually left alone by deer. These photos were taken at Cascade Falls where Dicentra cucullaira is plentiful growing alongside the river.
Photos: E.M. Truax
