Cut-leaf Toothwort

Scientific Name: Cardamine concatenata. The genus name, Cardamine, comes from a Greek word meaning “cress” while the Latin species name, concatenata, means “linked together”. This name refers to the plant’s rhizomes (underground stems) which narrow at intervals, making it look like a chain of teeth.¹ You may also find it referenced by its former scientific name, Dentaria laciniata.

Common Name: Cut-leaf Toothwort. This name derives from looking at two different parts of the plant: the shape of the leaves and the shape of parts of the rhizomes which look like teeth! The rhizomes of cut-leaf toothwort are also edible and have a spicy flavor. What name would you choose for a plant with these characteristics? How about pepper root? That’s another common name for Cardamine concatenata!¹

Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard family) Plants in the mustard family produce an acrid, bitter juice. The flowers may grow at the end of the stem or from the axils of the leaves and typically have 4 sepals and 4 petals often arranged in the shape of a cross. The seeds are in fruit capsules that split open when mature.²

Average Height: 3-10″.

Description: A perennial spring ephemeral that may grow in colonies, spreading through segmented underground stems (yes, rhizomes!), tubers up to 1½” long, and seeds. The green to grayish green leaves at the base of the plant help store energy for the next year, while others form a ring of 3 leaves around a single point on the stem. Leaves are 1¾-4½” wide and are deeply parted into 3-5 segments which are toothed and much longer than wide. Growing up to ⅓-¾” wide, the flowers have 4 white to pink petals arranged in the shape of a cross and 4 green to purplish sepals (remember, they are in the mustard family!). The fruit is a long, narrow pod containing tiny orange to greenish orange seeds which are expelled when the mature, dry pod opens.¹,²,³,⁴

Bloom time: Mar – May

Notes: Another plant in the mustard family is garlic mustard (Allaria petiolata), an invasive plant that outcompetes many native plants and is particularly linked to a decline in populations of the native cut-leaf toothwort.^3,6,7

Range: Common in the mountains and Piedmont of VA, but infrequent or absent in parts of the Coastal Plain.^2,5 Cut-leaf toothwort can be found growing from Quebec to Florida and west to Minnesota south to Texas.

Geology/Soil: Found growing most abundantly in nutrient-rich soils which include moderate to high levels of calcium, magnesium, and potassium.^2,5

Habitat: Most strongly associated with well-drained floodplain forests or moist to dry upland forests such as Basic Oak-Hickory forests.^2,5

Flora associations: Often found with a wide array of other spring-blooming wildflowers such as bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), spring beauty (Claytonia virginica var. virginica), and yellow trout-lily (Erythronium americanum ssp. americanum).

Fauna associations: A variety of bees visit Cardamine concatenata in search of nectar. In addition to mason bees (Osmia spp.), sweat bees (Lasioglossum spp.), bumblebees and honey bees, many species of mining bees (Andrena spp.) are among those visiting the flowers. Two species of flea beetle (Phyllotreta bipustulata and P. zimmermanni) also feed on the leaves.³

Toothworts are a host plant for the West Virginia white butterfly (Pieris virginiensis) which is experiencing a decline in population. Nonnative, invasive garlic mustard (Allaria petiolata) poses several threats to this butterfly. Since toothwort and garlic mustard are both in the mustard family, female West Virginia whites may lay eggs on garlic mustard but these caterpillars will fail to mature to adults. In addition, garlic mustard is causing a decline in the native plants such as the toothworts on which the West Virginia White caterpillars and adults feed.⁶,⁷ Other whites such as the mustard white butterfly (Pieris oleraceae) also use toothworts as a host plant.³,⁸

Human associations: The rhizomes are edible and have a peppery flavor similar to radish.⁷ In addition to eating the roots either raw with salt or boiled, the Haudenosaunee people use the plant for many different medicinal purposes including treating colds, headaches, stomach complaints, and heart disease.⁷,⁹

We want these plants to thrive and for everyone who gets to visit the park to enjoy them, so remember – don’t pick flowers or other parts of the plant!!

1 “Cardamine Concatenata (Cut-Leafed Toothwort, Pepper Root) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.” Plants.ces.ncsu.edu, plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cardamine-concatenata/. Accessed 28 Feb. 2024.

2 Weakley, A.S., J.C. Ludwig, and J.F. Townsend.  2012. Flora of Virginia. Bland Crowder, ed.  Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project, Inc., Richmond. Fort Worth:  Botanical Research Institute of Texas Press, , pp. 1155-1157.

3 “Cutleaf Toothwort (Dentaria Laciniata).” www.illinoiswildflowers.info, www.illinoiswildflowers.info/woodland/plants/cutleaf_toothwort.htm. Accessed 28 Feb. 2024.

4 Vogelpohl, Sid. “Know Your Natives – Cut-Leaf Toothwort.” Arkansas Native Plant Society, 29 Feb. 2016, anps.org/2016/02/29/know-your-natives-cut-leaf-toothwort/. Accessed 28 Feb. 2024.

5 “Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora | Cardamine Concatenata (Michaux) O. Schwarz.” Vaplantatlas.org, vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=plant&plant=373&search=Search. Accessed 28 Feb. 2024.

6 “NatureServe Explorer 2.0.” Explorer.natureserve.org, 2 Feb. 2024, explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.110832/Pieris_virginiensis.

7 “Cut-Leaved Toothwort – CornellBotanicGardens.” Cornellbotanicgardens.org, cornellbotanicgardens.org/plant/cut-leaved-toothwort/. Accessed 28 Feb. 2024.

8 Brock, James P, et al. Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. New York, Houghton Mifflin, 2006, p 46.

9 “BRIT – Native American Ethnobotany Database.” Naeb.brit.org, naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=cardamine+concatenata. Accessed 29 Feb. 2024.

Definitions:

Spring ephemeral: A perennial plant which grows early in the spring – before the trees grow leaves – to take advantage of the sunlight reaching the forest floor.  In less than 2 months, the plant grows, blooms, and produces seed and then disappears from view as the leaves die back.