Description
Cut-leaf Toothwort (Dentaria laciniata), also known as Cardamine concatenata, is a delicate native spring ephemeral that brightens woodland floors in early spring. Its deeply divided leaves give the plant its common name, while small clusters of pale white to soft pink flowers rise above the foliage.
Blooming early in the season, Cut-leaf Toothwort provides nectar and pollen for early pollinators, including native bees that emerge in spring. The plant grows naturally in deciduous woodlands, where it takes advantage of sunlight before the forest canopy fills in.
This species thrives in rich, well-drained woodland soils with partial to full shade. After flowering in spring, the foliage gradually fades as the plant enters dormancy by early summer. Over time, Cut-leaf Toothwort spreads slowly to form natural colonies, creating a soft carpet of spring blooms in woodland gardens and shaded native plantings.
