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Cardamine hirsuta - L.

Common Name Hairy Bittercress
Family Brassicaceae or Cruciferae
USDA hardiness 4-8
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Open and cultivated ground, rocks, scree, walls etc[17].
Range Throughout most of the northern Hemisphere, including Britain.
Edibility Rating    (3 of 5)
Other Uses    (1 of 5)
Weed Potential Yes
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Cardamine hirsuta Hairy Bittercress


Cardamine hirsuta Hairy Bittercress
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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Cardamine hirsuta is a ANNUAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from April to August, and the seeds ripen from May to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Arabis heterophylla G.Forst. ex DC. Cardamine angulata Regel [Illegitimate]. Cardamine borbonica Boj

Habitats

 Cultivated Beds; East Wall. In. South Wall. In. West Wall. In.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers  Leaves
Edible Uses:

Leaves and flowers - raw or cooked[2, 5, 52, 53, 105]. A hot cress-like flavour, they are mainly used as a garnish or flavouring in salads etc[132] but are also sometimes used as a potherb[183]. The plant germinates most freely in the autumn and so leaves are usually available all winter[244].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

The tiny flowers are attractive to a few early butterflies, including (in the United States) spring azure (Celastrina ladon) and falcate orange-tip (Anthocharis midea).

Special Uses

Food Forest

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Prefers a moist humus rich soil in shade or semi-shade[200] but it succeeds in most soils and positions[1]. A common garden weed, it can be in flower all year round if the weather is mild. It will usually self-sow very freely in cultivated soil and is found especially in pot-grown plants[K].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

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Propagation

Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ. This species needs very little encouragement and is quite capable of sowing itself, often too freely.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Chantruk-maan, Common bittercress, Hairy wood cress, Lamb's cress, Serampeti, Serampidi, Splitting Jenny, Sui mi qi, Tosanini vu, Vlaknesta gorva, land cress, hoary bitter cress, spring cress, flick weed, and shot weed (or lambscress, landcress, hoary bittercress, springcress, flickweed, and shotweed).

Native Plant Search

Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Africa, Asia, Australia, Britain, Bulgaria, Central Asia, China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Europe, Finland, Haiti, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, New Guinea, New Zealand, Norfolk Island, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, SE Asia, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Tasmania, Thailand, Turkmenistan, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, SW Asia, S Africa, North and South America, Zambia.

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

This plant can be weedy or invasive.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status : This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Cardamine amaraLarge BittercressPerennial0.6 4-8  LMHSNM31 
Cardamine amaraeformis Annual0.0 -  LMHSNM20 
Cardamine bonariensis Annual0.0 -  LMHSNM20 
Cardamine bulbiferaCoral Root, Coralroot bittercressPerennial0.5 4-8  LMHSNM20 
Cardamine bulbosaBulbous BittercressPerennial0.5 4-8  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine debilisRoadside bittercressPerennial0.3 0-0  LMHSNM20 
Cardamine fauriei Perennial0.3 4-8  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine flexuosaWavy Bittercress,Woodland bittercressAnnual/Perennial0.5 4-8  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine glacialis Perennial0.3 -  LMHSNM20 
Cardamine heptaphylla Perennial0.4 -  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine impatiensNarrowleaf bittercressAnnual/Biennial0.6 4-8  LMHSNMWe210
Cardamine kitaibelii Perennial0.2 5-9  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine komarovii Perennial0.3 -  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine leucantha Perennial0.6 4-8  LMHSNMWe21 
Cardamine loxostemonoidesCuckoo FlowerAnnual0.3 -  LMHSNM10 
Cardamine lyrata Perennial0.5 6-9  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine macrophylla Perennial0.3 5-9  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine nasturtioides Perennial0.3 -  LMHSNM20 
Cardamine nipponica Perennial0.1 -  LMHSNM10 
Cardamine oligospermaSpring Cress, Little western bittercress, Umbel bittercressAnnual/Biennial0.3 0-0  LMHSNMWe21 
Cardamine pennsylvanicaBittercressBiennial/Perennial0.6 4-8  LMHSNMWe21 
Cardamine pentaphyllos Perennial0.3 -  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine pratensisCuckoo FlowerPerennial0.5 4-8  LMHSNMWe322
Cardamine prorepens Perennial0.4 4-8  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine raphanifolia Perennial0.5 4-8  LMHFSMWe102
Cardamine rotundifoliaAmerican Water Cress, American bittercressPerennial0.3 5-9  LMHSNMWeWa20 
Cardamine schinziana Perennial0.3 4-8  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine scutata Annual/Biennial0.3 4-8  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine trifolia Perennial0.2 6-9  LMHFSMWE103
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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Botanical References

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Subject : Cardamine hirsuta  
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