Bloomipedia
Cut-leaved toothwort (Cardamine concatenata)
Photo: David Eberly via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized

Flower profile

Cut-leaved toothwort

Cardamine concatenata

Native in the lower 48

Cut-leaved toothwort is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 15 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

36states
15of our state lists
46,448U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Quick look

Cardamine concatenata, the cutleaved toothwort, crow's toes, pepper root or purple-flowered toothwort, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is a perennial woodland wildflower native to eastern North America.

  • It belongs to the Brassicaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 36 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Ohio, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. iNaturalist
  • In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 6,807 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #13 among the 109 flowers on our Ohio list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 4,903 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #19 among the 109 flowers on our Illinois list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 4,156 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #32 among the 110 flowers on our Virginia list. iNaturalist

Cut-leaved toothwort gift ideas

Handmade cut-leaved toothwort gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

  • Placeholder

    Cut-leaved toothwort art print

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Cut-leaved toothwort greeting card

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Cut-leaved toothwort mug

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Cut-leaved toothwort earrings

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Cut-leaved toothwort embroidery pattern

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Cut-leaved toothwort sticker

    Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (5,467 records)
Bloom time in each of our 15 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
OhioNativeMarch–April6,807
IllinoisNativeMarch–April4,903
VirginiaNativeMarch–April4,156
PennsylvaniaNativeMarch–April4,018
MarylandNativeMarch–April3,107
IndianaNativeMarch–April3,081
MichiganNativeApril–May2,415
TennesseeNativeMarch–April2,148
KentuckyNativeMarch–April2,045
WisconsinNativeApril–May1,962
MissouriNativeMarch–April1,775
ArkansasNativeMarch–April1,238
West VirginiaNativeMarch–April949
IowaNativeMarch–May330
DelawareNativeMarch–April245

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Ohio
Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Ohio. OAC 1501:18-1-03
Illinois
Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Illinois. IL E&T checklist 2025
Virginia
Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. 2VAC5-320-10
Pennsylvania
Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: S5, secure in Pennsylvania. 17 Pa. Code Ch. 45
Maryland
Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maryland. COMAR 08.03.08
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in Indiana.
Michigan
Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Michigan. R 299.1028
Tennessee
Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: S5, secure in Kentucky. 400 KAR 3:040
Wisconsin
Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. NR 27.03
Missouri
Not listed Not on Missouri Wildlife Code endangered species (3 CSR 10-4.111), plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Missouri. 3 CSR 10-4.111
Arkansas
No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
West Virginia
No list West Virginia has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (only federally listed species are protected), so we show NatureServe's West Virginia ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in West Virginia.
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: S5, secure in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
Delaware
Not listed Not on Rare and Uncommon Plants of Delaware (DNREC, 2024; informational, Delaware has no state plant-protection list). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Delaware. DE rare plants 2024
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: ME (S1), NH (S1), SD (S2), TX (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “The roots of the plant are spicy and have a radish flavor. They may be sliced and used in salads.” NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records cut-leaved toothwort in 36 states plus Washington, D.C.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Adams, Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Brown, Butler, Carroll, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Darke, Defiance, Delaware, Erie, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Fulton, Gallia, Geauga, Greene, Guernsey, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Harrison, Henry, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Jackson, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Logan, Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Mahoning, Marion, Medina, Meigs, Mercer, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Noble, Ottawa, Paulding, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Portage, Preble, Putnam, Richland, Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Seneca, Shelby, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Union, Van Wert, Vinton, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Williams, Wood, Wyandot.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Alexander, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lawrence, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Massac, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, Saline, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Union, Vermilion, Wabash, Warren, Washington, Wayne, White, Whiteside, Will, Williamson, Winnebago, Woodford.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buckingham, Campbell, Caroline, Carroll, Charles City, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Clarke, Culpeper, Dickenson, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Grayson, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Hampton , Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Highland, James City, King George, Lee, Loudoun, Lunenburg, Madison, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince George, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Sussex, Tazewell, Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise, Wythe, York.

More Ohio flowers

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Garlic mustard

Alliaria petiolata

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in OH: April–May
Dame's rocket (Hesperis matronalis)

Dame's rocket

Hesperis matronalis

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in OH: May–June
Hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana)

Hoary alyssum

Berteroa incana

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: May–October

Sources