Cut-leaf Toothcup
Cardamine concatenata
Last reviewed: August 2026
Cardamine concatenata is a spring woodland forb that blooms from March through May, thriving in part shade with medium moisture in rich deciduous forest soil.
Toxicity unknown
Cut-leaf Toothcup (Cardamine concatenata) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
part shade
Water
medium
Size
6"–12" H × 4"–8" W
Bloom
Mar, Apr, May
Native to
AL, AR, CT, DE and 30 more states
Pollinators
bees, beetles
Before you buy
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Cut-leaf toothcup is a low-growing spring wildflower that produces delicate white flowers from March through May. This woodland native goes dormant by midsummer, leaving space for other plants to fill in during the growing season.
Growing Cut-leaf Toothcup
Grow Cut-leaf Toothcup in part shade and medium water. Mature plants reach 6 to 12 inches tall and spread 4 to 8 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Cut-leaf Toothcup takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: low. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.
Works well in: backyard only.
- Disappears completely by summer, leaving bare spots
- Looks wild and informal even when blooming
- Too ephemeral for maintained landscape appearance
Wildlife value
The early spring blooms provide important nectar for emerging bees and beetles when few other flowers are available.
Common questions
- When does cutleaf toothwort bloom?
- Cardamine concatenata flowers in early spring, typically from March through May, appearing before the forest canopy fully leafs out.
- What pollinators visit cutleaf toothwort?
- Bees and beetles are the primary visitors, taking advantage of the flowers during the brief early spring bloom window before woodland shade sets in.
- What light and moisture conditions does this plant need?
- It grows best in part shade to shade with medium soil moisture, conditions typical of the deciduous forest floor where it emerges each spring.
- Is cutleaf toothwort an evergreen plant?
- No. It is a deciduous spring ephemeral that emerges, flowers, sets seed, and then dies back to the ground by early summer.
- Is Cut-leaf Toothcup HOA-friendly?
- Cut-leaf Toothcup takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Cut-leaf Toothcup? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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