hairy bittercress plant

Hairy bittercress – Cardamine hirsuta

Cardamine hirsuta L.

Brassicaceae (Mustard family)

MI Status

Non-native

Life cycle

Rapidly growing winter or summer annual.

Leaves

Round cotyledons on long petioles are followed by heart- to kidney-shaped first two true leaves. Subsequent leaves are compound with two to eight alternately arranged leaflets and larger terminal leaflet. Leaflet margins are shallowly toothed to lobed. Mostly hairy leaves initially develop from a basal rosette, followed by a few smaller, narrow stem leaves. Basal leaves are persistent through maturity.

Stems

Mostly erect, smooth, angled stems branch mainly at the base. Stems are less than 12 inches tall.

Flowers and fruit

Very small, white flowers with four petals are arranged in terminal clusters. Fruit are very narrow, about 1-inch-long, flattened, upward-pointing capsules that explosively eject numerous small seeds.

Reproduction

Seeds. Multiple generations may be produced in a single year.

Similar weeds

Smallflowered bittercress (Cardamine parviflora L.) differs by having up to six leaflet pairs and basal leaves that are not present at maturity.

 

More information and control options

Hairy bittercress flower
Hairy bittercress flower
Hairy bittercress flowering stem
Hairy bittercress flowering stem
Hairy bittercress rosette
Hairy bittercress rosette
Hairy bittercress seedling
Hairy bittercress seedling
Hairy bittercress fruit
Hairy bittercress fruit
Hairy bittercress leaf
Hairy bittercress leaf

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