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Dutchman's Breeches
Dicentra cucullaria

A herald of spring in Minnesota, Dutchman’s Breeches is an early-season bloomer that provides nectar for the first emerging bumblebees. It’s green foliage fades to a light yellow by early summer and goes into total dormancy by mid-summer.

USDA symbol: DICU

General Information

Plant TypeForb
Height1 foot
Light ExposureShade
Soil MoistureMedium
Bloom ColorWhite
Dutchman's Breeches (Dutchman's Breeches<div><em class="small">Dicentra cucullaria</em></div>)
Photo credit: Minnesota Native Landscapes (Click to enlarge)

Tolerances

Flooding / Inundation ToleranceLow
General Resilience3
Salt ToleranceLow
Stress ToleranceGeneral Disturbance

Pollinator Value: Very High

Bloom MonthsMay to June
Pollinator BenefitInsect Pollinated, Provides Nectar

Project Planning

Project TypeRestoration
Coefficient of Conservatism8
Herbivore SensitivityLow
LifespanPerennial
Rate of SpreadMedium
Soil StabilizationShallow
Vegetative ReproductionClonal

Range

CountyAitkin, Beltrami, Big Stone, Blue Earth, Brown, Carlton, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Cook, Cottonwood, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Itasca, Jackson, Kandiyohi, Lake, Le Sueur, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Meeker, Mille Lacs, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pine, Pope, Ramsey, Redwood, Renville, Rice, Rock, Sherburne, Sibley, St. Louis, Stearns, Steele, Stevens, Swift, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine
EcoregionDriftless Area, Lake Agassiz Plain, North Central Hardwood Forests, Northern Glaciated Plains, Northern Lakes and Forests, Northern Minnesota Wetlands, Western Cornbelt Plains
Approximate Eco ProvinceEastern Broadleaf Forest, Laurentian Mixed Forest, Prairie Parkland, Tallgrass Aspen Parklands