About
Cardamine flexuosa is a rapidly developing annual or biennial plant characterized by its compound leaves and petite white flowers that emerge on undulating stems. This species typically thrives in moist, shaded areas, reaching heights of up to 50 cm, though in cultivated settings, it often remains smaller.
About the genus
Cardamine consists of herbaceous perennials characterized by their straightforward, palmately or pinnately divided foliage. In spring or summer, they produce short racemes bearing flowers with four petals, which can be white, yellow, pink, or purplish in hue.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Clay, Loam, Chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Poorly-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H4
Plant details
- Plant type
- Annual Biennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1 year
- Suggested uses
- Wildlife gardens
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grows best in moist, shady conditions, but will tolerate a range of positions and soil types. Edible, with a peppery taste, similar to cress and used in the same way. Self-seeds readily, but unwanted plants are easily removed by hand weeding or hoeing. See the advice page on bittercress for more details
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagates by seed produced prolifically through the growing season and dispersed explosively from seed pods. Seeds are sticky when wet and can be spread on shoes and clothing
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to club root