*Cardamine hirsuta Linnaeus. Common name: Hairy Bittercress. Phenology: Jan-May (or irregularly earlier in response to mild winter weather). Habitat: Disturbed areas, including fields and gardens. Distribution: Native of Europe.
Origin/Endemic status: Europe
Synonymy ⓘ: = C, F, Fl4, FNA7, G, GW2, Il, Mi, NcTx, NE, NY, Pa, RAB, S, S13, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, Al-Shehbaz (1988a), Marhold et al (2016), Rollins (1993), Šlenker et al (2018); > Cardamine debilis DC. — Ar; > Cardamine hirsuta L. — Ar; Cardamine hirsuta L. Basionym: Cardamine hirsuta L. 1753
Links to other floras: = Cardamine hirsuta - FNA7
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
- Great Plains: FAC
- Midwest: FACU
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACU
Heliophily ⓘ: 7
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Erect annual from a rosette, commonly found in disturbed areas, including fields and gardens. Native of Europe but naturalized through much of North America.
Stems: Stems sparingly branched, light green to dull purple, somewhat hairy at the base.
Leaves: Basal leaves in a rosette up to 8 in. wide and often forming in late winter; these leaves are petiolate (petioles may be hairy), to 4 in. long and pinnately divided into 5-9 rounded or oval leaflets with wavy margins. Stem leaves 2-6, alternate, smaller and divided into 2-3 pairs of narrow leaflets.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers in short terminal racemes, white, less than ¼ in. wide, consisting of 4 petals, 4 light green to dull purple sepals (shorter than petals), 4 stamens, and a pistil with a single style.
Fruits: Fruit a thin, linear, green pod; pods ripen on lower flower stalks while upper flowers are still blooming.
Comments:
Height: 3-15 in.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect annual from a rosette, commonly found in disturbed areas, including fields and gardens. Native of Europe but naturalized through much of North America.
stems: Stems sparingly branched, light green to dull purple, somewhat hairy at the base.
leaves: Basal leaves in a rosette up to 8 in. wide and often forming in late winter; these leaves are petiolate (petioles may be hairy), to 4 in. long and pinnately divided into 5-9 rounded or oval leaflets with wavy margins. Stem leaves 2-6, alternate, smaller and divided into 2-3 pairs of narrow leaflets.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers in short terminal racemes, white, less than ¼ in. wide, consisting of 4 petals, 4 light green to dull purple sepals (shorter than petals), 4 stamens, and a pistil with a single style.
fruits: Fruit a thin, linear, green pod; pods ripen on lower flower stalks while upper flowers are still blooming.
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cultural notes:
germination code:
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