SafePlants

American Bittercress (Cardamine rotundifolia)

American Bittercress, also known as American Water Cress or American Bittercress, belongs to the Cardamine genus, which is a large group of flowering plants. This plant is sometimes referred to as Round-leaved Bittercress or Watercress.

Considerations for Pets and Children

• This plant is known to have a pungent taste.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Cardamine rotundifolia Michx.
• Common Names: American Bittercress, American Water Cress, American bittercress
• Family: Brassicaceae (also known as Cruciferae)

Distribution and Habitat

• American Bittercress is found in North America.
• It has been observed blooming in Garrett Co., Maryland.
• Heartleaf bittercress (Cardamine cordifolia) has been noted along stream banks in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.
• Grows in moist, mountainous locations.
• Cardamine pensylvanica grows in every state in the US except for Arizona and Hawaii.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Bittercress is described as a spring green that is available to eat in the spring.
• Cardamine pensylvanica is a small biennial herb.

Ecological Role

• Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) is noted as an import from Europe and has colonized North America.

Quirky Facts

• Bittercress is reported to have a horseradish flavor, making it a suitable addition to sandwiches.
• Ballistic seed dispersal has been observed in bittercress.

Related Species

• Cardamine hirsuta (Hairy Bittercress)
• Cardamine amara (Large Bittercress)
• Cardamine oligosperma
• Cardamine cordifolia (Heartleaf Bittercress)
• Cardamine douglassii (Limestone Bitter Cress)
• Cardamine bulbifera (Coralroot Bittercress)
• Cardamine bellidifolia (Alpine Bittercress)

Further Information

• USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
• Discover Life's page about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification and distribution of Cardamine rotundifolia
• US Wildflower's Database of White Wildflowers for Virginia