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Common Bittercress

Cardamine hirsuta

Last reviewed: June 2026

Common Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Velela assumed (based on copyright claims). / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Light

part shade

Water

medium

Size

4"–12" H × 3"–8" W

Bloom

Mar, Apr, May

Native to

MD

Pollinators

bees, flies

Browse plants for this ecoregion

Coast RangeSierra NevadaCentral California ValleyCentral California Foothills and Coastal MountainsSouthern California/Northern Baja CoastEast Central Texas PlainsSouth Central PlainsSonoran Basin and Range

Common bittercress is a small, low-growing annual wildflower that produces tiny white flowers in early spring. This modest native plant grows in small rosettes and completes its life cycle quickly, often disappearing by summer.

In an HOA neighborhood

Common Bittercress takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: low. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Works well in: backyard only.

  • Very small and can appear weedy
  • Annual nature means inconsistent presence
  • May be mistaken for a weed by neighbors

Wildlife value

The small white flowers provide early nectar for bees and flies during spring when few other plants are blooming.

Native range data from the USDA PLANTS Database and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

Does Common Bittercress fit your yard? Open it in Pollinator Patch to check it against your sun, soil, and HOA-conscious filters.

See it in the app

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