It is easily understandable how this plant has been overlooked by us for so long. This time of year comes with a high work load and as a result Toothwort remained basically unnoticed. Fortunately for us that has now changed. This picture shows a mature plant sporting two sets of three leaves each and flowers. The scent of these small white flowers is incredible perhaps outdistancing the fragrance of Arbutus.
These plants were released from the jungle of growth in the old shade garden. This spot in front of the most natural looking stone deliberately placed here seems like a proper place for this newly rediscovered plant. We expect that Toothwort will soon completely fill this area. Since it is shallow rooted other plants can grow alongside with no detrimental effect on either one.
White bumps on the long root may be the source of the name Toothwort. John Burroughs did introduce me to this plant with just two sentences. He described memories of himself as a boy taking a shortcut on his walk to school passing through a wooded area. White roots were liberated and pocketed intending to eat them with lunch. On most days the tasty roots were eaten during morning classes. Our supply of plants is large enough to consider sampling their flavor. Pepper root is another common name for this plant referencing its hot taste. Native Americans are reported to have allowed the roots to mellow under cover for several days before eating them. The aged flavor sounds more desirable to me than that of the fresh root.
This is the source of our plants dug for transplanting. A single plant purchased many years ago has done well here on its own. We intend to keep the new planting free of invasive plants like the violets that also claim this ground as theirs. Deer are frequently seen feeding here and violets are on their list of plants to eat. We do not know if Toothwort is also on their menu. We hope to sample the scent of a larger set of blossoms that may follow an introduction to better growing conditions.
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