States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaArkansasFloridaLouisianaMississippiVirginiaWest Virginia
Menu

Dutchman's Breeches

Dicentra cucullaria

Found in rich, moist forests, especially rich cove forests in the mountains. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

14
Modest

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
3–6 inches
Spread
6–8 inches
Light
Dappled sunlight, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 1 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 100 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
March to May
Fruiting season
May to June

Recorded in 22 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Moist forests

Woods Scene
Harvey Joiner, Woods Scene: tall beeches in a moist Kentucky woodland, light falling through a closed canopy onto a damp forest floor. Regional view: the painting does not name the exact site. Shown: Kentucky beech woods (Harvey Joiner, Louisville painter of Kentucky beech forests; the painting does not name the site), a neighboring state.Woods Scene, Harvey Joiner, c. 1880-1920. Public domain. Source record.

Rich cove forests

Sheltered, moist mountain hollows and lower slopes with deep, fertile soil.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 65 animals.

Widespread birds also seen here (49)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

0CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV
4BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Dicentra

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Adult butterflies / moths 3
  • Anosia plexippus
  • Thanaos martialis
  • Vanessa atalanta

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fumariaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–7b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Pink or white
Fruit begins
May
Fruit ends
June

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Dutchmans Breeches

Conservation status

West Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

How to check your spot

Sources