Specimen record
Dutchman's Breeches
Dicentra cucullaria
Description
A charming spring ephemeral with finely dissected, fern-like basal leaves and an arching raceme of white flowers shaped like tiny upside-down pantaloons. It grows from a cluster of small pink-white bulblets (grain-like corms) on the forest floor. The entire above-ground plant disappears by early June as the canopy closes overhead.
Identification tips
- 1White flowers with two divergent spurs resembling upside-down pantaloons
- 2Yellow tips visible at the base (opening) of each flower
- 3Finely divided, fern-like blue-green basal leaves
- 4Grows in clusters from small grain-like pink-white bulblets
- 5Entire plant disappears by June — true ephemeral
Specimen & preservation notes
Press the entire plant including a few bulblets for the herbarium sheet. Arrange flowers along the raceme so the distinctive spur shape is visible. Dry quickly to preserve the delicate foliage. Collect from the center of large colonies only.
Habitats
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 |
Collection notes
Season check
Observed bloom also extends into April.
Flowering records: 186 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 59 observations within 25 km