One of the big bonuses in studying native plants is learning about histories and traditions that these plants either were a part of or named after.
 
     Now we have Dutchman's Breeches, a wildflower named after pants worn not only by men but also women of the 1800s.  Here's a great, old photo of Dutchmen wearing breeches, or pantaloons, with wooden shoes.
 
     The plants themselves are ephemerals, blooming in early spring and fading by mid-summer.  Dutchman's Breeches does best in a consistently moist yet well-drained woodland with lots of organic matter.
 
  Dutchman's Breeches heralds that era with its white, or light pink, pantaloon-like flowers riding upside-down on the stems.