Picture of the Week
July 18, 2022
Dutchman’s Breeches Bulblets
John Orick, Purdue Master Gardener State Coordinator, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture
The photos in this article show the bulblets for a wildflower known as Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria). This spring flowering plant is related to another wildflower, squirrel-corn (Dicentra canadensis) which looks very similar and has yellowish bulblets that resemble corn kernels. Dutchman’s breeches has white to light pink oddly shaped flowers which resemble a pair of 18th century “breeches” or trousers. This perennial plant grows in woodland areas with part sun and shade and its blooms are frequently visited by several pollinating insects. The plant is toxic but offers some unique beauty to woodlands in the Midwest.
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Photos by Brittany McAdams
Dutchman's breeches bulblets. 
Dutchman's breeches bulblets. For more information and pictures of the flower:
Missouri Department of Conservation https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/dutchman%E2%80%99s-breeches
