Cardamine cordifolia
Heartleaf bittercress
(c) Ian Adams, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cardamine cordifolia (Heartleaf bittercress) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by heart-shaped simple leaves diagnostic.
Heartleaf bittercress is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California Ranges, and northern Sierra Nevada Mountains in streambanks, meadows, and mixed-conifer forests at elevations of 600 to 3,600 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white flowers with delicate obovate petals 7 to 12 millimeters long. Growing 20 to 70 centimeters tall with simple or branched stems, it develops from a cylindric rhizome with fleshy green growth. Its distinctive leaves are heart-shaped or kidney-shaped, ranging 5 to 15 centimeters long, with petioles 2.5 to 12 centimeters in length and a simple, fleshy structure. The fruit develops as an ascending to erect pod 2.5 to 3.7 centimeters long, containing 14 to 24 small oblong seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; heart-shaped simple leaves diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Streambanks, meadows, wet or moist areas, mixed-conifer forest
Elevation: 600-3600 m
California counties: Placer, Modoc, Humboldt, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Plumas, Nevada, Butte, Mono, Tulare
Outside California: to British Columbia, Wyoming, New Mexico
Bloom period
Cardamine cordifolia blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Raphanus: Cardamine has narrow pencil-like pods with many seeds; Raphanus has thick beaked pods that break into segments.; vs Nasturtium: Cardamine grows on moist land in shade; Nasturtium grows in or at the edge of water in sun.; vs Viola: Cardamine has four petals and thin seed pods; Viola has five petals and a capsule that splits into three parts.; vs Vancouveria: Cardamine has four-petaled flowers and seed pods; Vancouveria has six-petaled flowers and follicles.; vs Lepidium: Cardamine has narrow pods with many seeds; Lepidium has flattened round pods with only 2 seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cardamine cordifolia native to California?
Yes. Cardamine cordifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cardamine cordifolia bloom?
Cardamine cordifolia blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Cardamine cordifolia grow?
Cardamine cordifolia occurs in Placer, Modoc, Humboldt, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Plumas, Nevada, Butte and other counties, at elevations of 600-3600 m.
What plant family does Cardamine cordifolia belong to?
Cardamine cordifolia is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Cardamine.
What habitat does Cardamine cordifolia grow in?
Cardamine cordifolia grows in Streambanks, meadows, wet or moist areas, mixed-conifer forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.