Dutchman’s breeches

Dicentra cucullaria

Delicate eastern North American spring ephemeral with finely divided fern-like foliage and rows of small white pantaloon-shaped flowers in mid-spring.

Hardiness ratings

Dutchman’s breeches hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 3–7 −40 °C to −12.2 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H7 down to −20 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 3–7 −34 °C to −7 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 1–3 −15 °C to 0 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Flowers April–May then dies back by midsummer — classic spring ephemeral behaviour
  • Pollinated almost exclusively by long-tongued bumblebees — the closed flowers exclude short-tongued bees
  • Needs rich humus-rich woodland soil and complete summer shade
  • Mark the position — the disappearance is total

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Dutchman’s breeches against your zones

Reference

Dutchman’s breeches on Wikipedia