Hairy Bittercress

Cardamine hirsuta

Native to:
Albania, Algeria, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Borneo, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Canary Is., China, Congo, Corse, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, DR Congo, East Aegean Is., Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, Føroyar, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Gulf of Guinea Is., Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Kriti, Krym, Laos, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Malaya, Mauritius, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Guinea, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sumatera, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Brassicaceae
Genus:
Cardamine
Species:
Cardamine hirsuta
USDA Symbol:
CAHI3

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Annual
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
30 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Low
Bloom Months:
mar,apr,may
Bloom Colors:
white

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
Caterpillars:
★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

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

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Paramidea midea

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
bees

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
moist, fertile, well-drained soil
pH:
6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
good drainage preferred
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
often found in disturbed, open areas

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
None required
Germination Time:
5–14 days
Notes:
Seeds germinate readily without pretreatment; light may enhance germination.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI