Dicentra canadensis explained

Dicentra canadensis, the squirrel corn, is a flowering plant from eastern North America with oddly shaped white flowers and finely divided leaves.

Description

Squirrel corn has small yellow clustered bulblets (looking roughly like kernels of corn), finely dissected leaves, and white heart-shaped flowers. The flowers are fragrant.^[1] It is a spring ephemeral, leafing out and flowering in spring and going dormant in summer.

Distribution and habitat

It is native to deciduous woodland in eastern North America. It is also found among rock outcrops near mountains.^[2]

References

• Book: Blanchan, Neltje . Neltje Blanchan. Adapted from Blanchan's Nature's Garden by Asa Don Dickinson. Originally published in 1900 as Nature's Garden: An Aid to Knowledge of our Wild Flowers and their Insect Visitors. Wild Flowers Worth Knowing. 1917. Doubleday, Page & Company. Garden City, New York. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. 18 January 2024.
• Bleeding hearts, Corydalis, and their relatives. Mark Tebbitt, Magnus Lidén, and Henrik Zetterlund. Timber Press. 2008.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin. 2021-10-19. www.wildflower.org.
2. Web site: Dicentra canadensis (Squirrel Corn) North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. 2021-10-19. plants.ces.ncsu.edu.