Sand Bittercress
Cardamine parviflora
- Native to:
- Algeria, Baltic States, Belarus, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czechia-Slovakia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Krym, Kuril Is., North Caucasus, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Transcaucasus, Ukraine, United States
Johann Georg Sturm (Painter: Jacob Sturm (en.wikipedia.org) )
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Brassicaceae
- Genus:
- Cardamine
- Species:
- Cardamine parviflora
- USDA Symbol:
- CAPA12
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 30 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- mar,apr,may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- white
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (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:
- butterflies, small insects
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, well-drained sandy loam
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers open, disturbed areas with light shade
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination. Surface sow or barely cover after cold stratification.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI