Woodland Bittercress

Cardamine flexuosa

Native to:
Albania, Algeria, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, Føroyar, France, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sicilia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Brassicaceae
Genus:
Cardamine
Species:
Cardamine flexuosa
USDA Symbol:
CAFL14

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Annual | Biennial | Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
50 cm
Light Requirements:
Part Shade
Drought Tolerance:
Low
Bloom Months:
mar,apr,may,jun
Bloom Colors:
white

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★☆☆☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Paramidea midea

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
butterflies

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
prefers shaded or semi-shaded areas

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
Germination Time:
7–21 days
Notes:
Germinates readily in cool, moist conditions. Seeds may also germinate without stratification if fresh.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI