Hairy Bittercress
Cardamine hirsuta

Family: Brassicaceae or Cruciferae

What it is like

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.

Height (m): 0.3

Where it is found

Open and cultivated ground, rocks, scree, walls etc.

Throughout most of the northern Hemisphere, including Britain.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.

Countries/locations it is found in

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, Philippines, SE Asia, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Tasmania, Thailand, Turkmenistan, USA, Vietnam, West Africa, SW Asia, S Africa, North and South America, Zambia.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

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

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 1

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).

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Prefers a moist humus rich soil in shade or semi-shade but it succeeds in most soils and positions. 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.

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

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds; East Wall. In. South Wall. In. West Wall. In.

Habit: Annual

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

This plant can be weedy or invasive.

Its other names

Local names

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).

Synonyms

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