Brewer's Bittercress

Cardamine breweri

Brewer's Bittercress

Joe F. Duft

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Brassicaceae
Genus:
Cardamine
Species:
Cardamine breweri

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
2-3 ft
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
may, jun, jul
Bloom Colors:
White

Native Range

United States: California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Canada: British Columbia

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★★★★★ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
moist, rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
good drainage required
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
Prefers shaded, riparian areas in native habitat

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).

Source: OpenAI GPT-4o