American Bittercress
Cardamine rotundifolia
Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 2: 187. Courtesy of Kentucky Native Plant Society. Scanned by Omnitek Inc
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Brassicaceae
- Genus:
- Cardamine
- Species:
- Cardamine rotundifolia
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 1-2 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- apr, may, jun
- Bloom Colors:
- White
- Ground Cover:
- Yes
Native Range
United States: Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
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:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- commonly found in shaded, wetland areas
Germination Information
Pre-treatment: Cold-moist stratification for 30 days at 1–5°C (34–41°F).
Source: OpenAI GPT-4o