The moniker refers to its habit of laying eggs on the toothwort. Cardamine nuttallii is a species of cardamine known by the common name Nuttall's toothwort. There are ancient woodland plants such as yellow archangel and toothwort. Woodland flora include toothwort, goldilocks buttercup and early purple orchid. Toothwort, nettle-leaved bellflower, woodruff and sanicle may be found in these areas. Common toothwort ("Lathraea squamaria") and spring snowflake ("Leucojum vernum") also occur here and there. Toothwort is a perennial plant producing clumps of flowering shoots in late spring.