Dutchman's Breeches

Did you know

• Each white flower hangs upside down from the stem like a pair of tiny old-fashioned puffy pants pinned to a clothesline—an instantly recognizable spring ephemeral.
• By early summer, the entire plant vanishes—leaves, stems, flowers all wither and disappear underground until next March, leaving no trace at all.
• The seeds have small fatty appendages called elaiosomes—ants carry them off and discard them in their nest middens, planting the next generation in fertile soil.
• Native peoples of the Iroquois used Dutchman's breeches as a love charm—young men rubbed the crushed roots on their clothes hoping to attract young women's attention.
• Despite its delicate appearance, the plant contains dangerous alkaloids including isoquinoline and protoberberine—livestock that browse it can suffer 'staggers' and convulsions.

Color meanings

Uses

• Woodland gardens
• Spring ephemerals
• Native plant gardens
• Naturalizing