dutchman's breeches
Dicentra cucullaria
USDA zones3 to 7
SunHandles full sun to full shade
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size6 to 12 inches tall6 to 12 inches wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Bloom color
- White , yellow
- Foliage color
- Gray/silver, green
- Soil types
- Loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) is a perennial for shade gardens, woodland gardens, and pollinator gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full sun to full shade and average to moist, loamy, clay, or chalky soil. White flowers with yellow tips look like tiny pantaloons and open in early to late spring. The plant goes dormant by early summer, so grow it near hostas or hellebores that fill the gap. Deer and rabbits rarely make it their first choice.
Pairs well with Bellwort, White trillium, and Sensitive fern.
Native range
Eastern North America.