Species › Plants › Two-leaved Toothwort

Two-leaved Toothwort

Cardamine diphylla

CommonPlant
Illustration of Two-leaved Toothwort (Cardamine diphylla)

Two-leaved Toothwort is a spring ephemeral wildflower of eastern North American forests, recognized by its pair of opposite, deeply toothed compound leaves on the flowering stem. It blooms in early spring with clusters of white to pale pink four-petaled flowers before tree canopy leafout. The scaly, tooth-like rhizomes are edible with a peppery, horseradish-like flavor. It carpets forest floors in early spring before disappearing entirely by summer.

Habitat
Found in rich, moist deciduous woodlands and forested stream banks in eastern North America.
Diet
Provides early-season nectar for mining bees; host plant for West Virginia White butterfly larvae.
How common
Common

Best time to see a Two-leaved Toothwort

The best time to see a Two-leaved Toothwort is April–May, when about 89% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 9,898 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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