Cardamine pensylvanica Muhlenberg ex Willdenow. Common name: Quaker Bittercress. Phenology: Mar-Jun. Habitat: Various wet habitats, especially swampy depressions, streambanks, small woodland seeps. Distribution: NL (Newfoundland), NL (Labrador), NT, and AK south to FL, TX, and CA.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Fl4, FNA7, G, GrPl, GW2, Il, K4, Mi, NcTx, NE, NY, Pa, RAB, S, Tat, Tn, Va, W, WH3, Al-Shehbaz (1988a), Rollins (1993), (basionym); = Cardamine pennsylvanica Muhl. ex Willd. — S13, orthographic variant; > Cardamine pensylvanica Muhl. ex Willd. var. brittoniana Farw. — F; > Cardamine pensylvanica Muhl. ex Willd. var. pensylvanica — F
Links to other floras: = Cardamine pensylvanica - FNA7
Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: OBL
- Great Plains: FACW
- Midwest: FACW
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACW
Heliophily ⓘ: 6
Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.











Feedback
See something wrong or missing on about Cardamine pensylvanica? Let us know here: (Please include your name and email if at all complicated so we can clarify if needed.) We greatly appreciate feedback, and will include updates from you in our next webapp update, which can take a few months.
Horticultural Information
Intro: Erect, early blooming annual/biennial found in various wet habitats, especially swampy depressions, stream banks and small woodland seeps.
Stems: Stems may be branched from the base; smooth but hairy near the base.
Leaves: Leaves alternate (a few basal leaves), petiolate, 1½-4 in. long and pinnately divided into 3-13 oval to lance-shaped leaflets, each with 2-3 rounded teeth or lobes.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers on spreading-ascending stalks in a short terminal raceme, white, 1/4 in. or less wide, consisting of 4 tiny oval petals, 4 light green sepals, several stamens and a stout pistil.
Fruits: Fruit a linear, green pod; pods ripen on lower flower stalks while upper flowers are still blooming.
Comments:
Height: 6-22 in.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect, early blooming annual/biennial found in various wet habitats, especially swampy depressions, stream banks and small woodland seeps.
stems: Stems may be branched from the base; smooth but hairy near the base.
leaves: Leaves alternate (a few basal leaves), petiolate, 1½-4 in. long and pinnately divided into 3-13 oval to lance-shaped leaflets, each with 2-3 rounded teeth or lobes.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers on spreading-ascending stalks in a short terminal raceme, white, 1/4 in. or less wide, consisting of 4 tiny oval petals, 4 light green sepals, several stamens and a stout pistil.
fruits: Fruit a linear, green pod; pods ripen on lower flower stalks while upper flowers are still blooming.
comments:
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: