Cardamine bellidifolia

Alpine bittercress

Family: Brassicaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Alpine bittercress is a California native perennial found in the High Cascade Range in rocky, moist alpine slopes, volcanic peaks, and streambank habitats at elevations of 1,800 to 2,850 meters. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces delicate white flowers 4 to 5.5 millimeters long in small, clustered umbel-like arrangements. Growing with multiple erect or ascending stems 1 to 8 centimeters tall, it forms dense tufted clumps with a compact growth habit. Its basal leaves form a distinctive rosette with ovate to oblong blades 1 to 5 centimeters long, typically with entire margins and a simple structure. The plant produces slender erect fruits 1.3 to 2.8 centimeters long, containing 8 to 18 small oblong seeds.

Habitat: Ledges, rocky, moist soil, alpine slopes, volcanic peaks, mossy places, streambanks

Bloom period: Jun-Sep

Elevation: 1800-2850 m

Bioregions: CaRH

California counties: Siskiyou, Shasta, Plumas

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.