April Perennial of the Month-Dutchman’s Breeches
April is the best month to walk in the woods and view some of our native ephemerals. These plants have evolved to live in areas of Eastern North America once covered by forest. April rests in that narrow window when temperatures are warm, and the sunlight is sufficient under the bare trees for ephemerals to complete their “to-do” list: food production, reproduction, and storage of carbohydrates for the following year.
Dutchman’s breeches, Dicentra cucullaria, complete their entire life cycle above-ground within a few weeks before going dormant until the following spring, so they are easily missed with our busy schedules.
The common name refers to the flowers resembling a fairy clothesline hung with a week’s worth of laundry. (As you know, only the best-dressed forest fairies wear white pantaloons!) Dutchman breeches are closely related to the popular perennial, bleeding heart, formally known as Dicentra spectabilis, now renamed as, Lamprocapnos spectabilis March Perennial of the Month-Bleeding heart
And here’s where it gets really interesting …The unique bloom structure stores nectar at the tip of the spur petals. Early-emerging Bumblebees wearing their fuzzy coats are attracted to flowers with contrasting colors or patterns. Queen bees are busy looking for a suitable place to start a nest and lay eggs in early spring, and they need nectar for energy, plus pollen for the new bees after the eggs hatch. So, bees and Dutchman’s breeches have co-evolved to satisfy each other’s needs.
But wait, there’s more! Like many spring ephemerals, Dutchman breeches seeds attract ants, who carry them off to their nest. Each seed has a white, nutrient-rich, oil-filled appendage called an elaiosome. Once consumed, the ants toss the remaining seed into their refuse piles, usually far from the parent plant. Yeah, Mother Nature is cool like that!
If you want to grow some Dutchman’s breeches at home, PLEASE do not take them from the woods or parks where you find them. There are plenty of online sources for seed or bareroot if you can’t find them at one of the local garden centers or nurseries. Choose a spot that mimics the forest floor for them: full to part shade, semi-moist, well-drained soils with plenty of organic matter.
What I love about this plant;
-It’s native!
-Unique, whimsical flowers.
-Fascinating symbiotic relationships with bees and ants.
-Beautiful foliage.
What’s not so great;
After a few weeks, the plant goes dormant, so mark its location in your garden so you don’t accidentally dig it up or damage it.
Comments or questions? Email Garden-Lou at gardenloustl@gmail.com
Words and photos by Jo Batzer
© Jo Batzer, garden-lou.com-2025, All rights reserved.
