Geographic range and origin: Cut-leaf toothwort is native to eastern and central North America. It is widely distributed from southern New England and Ontario, through the midwest, and south to Texas and Northern Florida.
Habitat: Cut-leaf toothwort occurs inmesic to dry upland forests and well-drained floodplain forests. It frequently can be found in areas with moderately to strongly base-rich soils. While they are commonly in the mountains and Piedmont regions, they are infrequent in the Coastal Plain.
Description: Cut-leaf toothwort is a perennial wildflower that is usually reaches about 6-8 inches high. The flowers are colored pink or white and grow in clusters with 4 petals on each flower. The leaves to the plant are long, somewhat slender, and very jagged.
Long, jagged leafs of cut-leaf toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) (Photo by L. Cort 3/31/2018)
Flowers beginning to open on a cut-leaf toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) (Photo by C. Gleason)
Close up of a pink flower for a cut-leaf toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) (Photo by Alan Cressler)
Reproduction: Cut-leaf toothwort blooms for about 2 weeks mid-spring. The leaf stalks will be present for a week or two before flowers begin to show up and bloom. As the flowers come to the end of their blooming period, they are replaced by a seedpod. These seedpods tend to stick straight up in the air. Within the seedpod, the seeds are lined up in a single row and usually do not cluster together. The seeds are flattened, oval shape. As the summer months approach, cut-leaf toothwort will begin to die out. This can be observed by watching the remaining leaves turn yellow and the plant disappearing until next spring.
Unopened flower bud of cut-leaf toothwort (Cardamine concatenata) (Photo by N. Johnson)
Seedpods of cut-leaf toothwort
Foliage, of cut-leaf toothwort, yellowing at the end of the end of spring/early summer.
Conservation status: Commonly found east of the Rockies, but is considered a rare plant in New England.
Ecological importance: White-footed mouse consumes the plant in the early spring. Flowers are an important nectar source for bees and butterflies.
Cultural importance or uses: The cut-leaf toothwort provides Southeastern forests with a subtle spring color. Native American Tribe, Iroquois, made use of this plant medicinally and for food. The roots of the plant can be eaten raw or boiled. The leaves of the plant are also edible, they have a spicy flavor to them.
Datasheet & phenophase definitions for cut-leaf toothwort from Nature's Notebook (National Phenology Network)
USDA, National Resources Conservation Service. 2018. Cardamine concatenata L. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC, USA. Url: https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=CACO26 (Accessed 4/22/2018)