Until a few days ago, Dutchman’s breeches were, for me, a wildflower of mythical proportions. Surely a flower that resembles miniature pantaloons hanging upside-down from a clothesline could not grow plainly out in the woods of good old Vermont.
But on a recent walk along a dirt road, scads of Dutchman’s breeches could be found, growing right out there in the open alongside fully-blossomed trout lily, trillium and pink and white spring beauties. A total feast for anyone’s peepers!
The flowering plant, which grows 4-8″ tall, is named for the white flowers, which look an awful lot like billowing white breeches (or “britches”) drying on a clothesline. These won’t bloom for much longer, so get outside and look for these now!