SafePlants

Heartleaf Bittercress (Cardamine cordifolia)

Heartleaf Bittercress, also known as Heart-leaved Bittercress or Large Mountain Bittercress, is a charming wildflower often found in moist, mountainous environments.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Cardamine cordifolia A. Gray
• Common Names: Heartleaf Bittercress, Heart-leaved Bittercress, Large Mountain Bittercress, Lyall's Bittercress
• Family: Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)
• Synonyms: Cardamine cordifolia var. lyallii
• Taxonomic Rank: Species
• Subordinate Taxa:
  • Cardamine cordifolia var. cordifolia
  • Cardamine cordifolia var. diversifolia O.E.Schulz

Distribution and Habitat

• Heartleaf Bittercress is commonly found in the western and southwestern USA.
• It thrives in moist, mountainous locations, often along mountain streams and in wetland areas.
• Specific locations mentioned include the west slopes of Fields Peak, Malheur NF, Brain's Head Peak in Iron County, Utah, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and the Santa Fe National Forest near Santa Fe.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Heartleaf Bittercress is a perennial herb, a non-woody plant that is not a grass, reaching up to 2 meters in height.
• It typically grows to about a foot tall.
• The flowers usually have 4 petals, characteristic of the mustard family.
• It can form huge bushy clumps with large deep-green leaves.
• New growth emerges shortly after snow melt, displaying tiny purple stems and leaves.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• Scaptomyza nigrita is a specialist fly that feeds exclusively on Cardamine cordifolia. The flies also lay their eggs on the plant.

Further Information

• Discover Life provides information about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Heartleaf Bittercress: Discover Life
• The USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database features information and images of Cardamine cordifolia.
• iNaturalist.org contains observations and data related to Heartleaf Bittercress.