Diohio's Garden
Dutchman's Breeches
Genus: Dicentra.
Species: Dicentra cucullaria.
This perennial native is an early wildflower. It grows in deciduous woods. The two long inflated flower spurs containi nectar but only bumblebees that have a mouth part long enough to go deep into the flower are able to sip nectar. Other insects have developed a way to get to the nectar by chewing a hole in the spur. The flower gets its common name from the shape of the flower resembling baggy pants worn by "Dutchmen" hanginig upsidedown on an arching clothesline. This species was used by Native Americans as a love charm. It is told that if the root was nibbled by a man, his breath would attract a woman, even against her will. Mecicinally, a poultice was made from the leaves to calm skin flare-ups, and the plant has also been used to treat paralysis and tremors.
