Cardamine pensylvanica
Pennsylvania bittercress
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Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Cardamine pensylvanica (Pennsylvania bittercress) is a native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by annual habit and high seed count diagnostic.
Pennsylvania bittercress is a California native annual found in the northern Sierra Nevada and northern Sierra Nevada Foothill regions in wet or muddy places at elevations of 200 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces small white flowers around 2 to 3.5 millimeters long with delicate petals. Growing with erect stems 1 to 5.5 meters tall that are simple or branched toward the top, it has pinnately compound leaves with 7 to 13 leaflets. Its lower leaves feature round to oblanceolate leaflets with entire or slightly wavy margins, with the terminal leaflet typically larger than the lateral ones. The slender fruits are approximately 1.7 to 2.7 centimeters long, bearing 40 to 80 small oblong seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; annual habit and high seed count diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Wet or muddy places
Elevation: 200-2200 m
Outside California: to Alaska, eastern North America
Bloom period
Cardamine pensylvanica blooms Apr-Jul.
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 pensylvanica native to California?
Yes. Cardamine pensylvanica is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Cardamine pensylvanica bloom?
Cardamine pensylvanica blooms Apr-Jul.
What plant family does Cardamine pensylvanica belong to?
Cardamine pensylvanica is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Cardamine.
What habitat does Cardamine pensylvanica grow in?
Cardamine pensylvanica grows in Wet or muddy places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Cardamine sp. — Bitter-cress
- Cardamine angulata — Seaside bitter cress
- Cardamine bellidifolia — Alpine bittercress
- Cardamine bellidifolia var. pachyphylla — fleshy toothwort
- Cardamine breweri — Brewer's bitter cress
- Cardamine californica — Milk maids
- Carrichtera annua — Wards weed
- Carrichtera sp.
- Caulanthus amplexicaulis — Clasping leaved caulanthus
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.