Yes, many gardeners consider it a persistent weed due to its rapid seed dispersal.

Yes, the leaves have a peppery, mustard-like flavor and are great in salads.

Plant guide

Hairy bittercress.

Cardamine hirsuta

Pronounced kar-DA-mi-nee her-SOO-tuh

Also known as Bittercress, Common Bittercress, Flickweed, Hairy Bitter-Cress, Hairy Bittercress

Hairy bittercress is a small, fast growing annual that often pops up as a weed in gardens. It produces tiny white flowers followed by seed pods that explode when touched. You will likely find it thriving in cool, moist soil during the spring.

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Annual herb
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Indoor light: Bright indirect
Water: Every 2 to 5 days
Mature size: 10 to 30 centimeters
Growth rate: Fast
Hardiness: USDA 4 to 9
Bloom time: Early spring to late spring

Care

Keep the soil consistently moist to encourage growth. Watch for seed pods and remove them before they burst to prevent the plant from spreading everywhere. It prefers cooler temperatures and will often die back once summer heat arrives.

Watering: Keep the soil damp but not waterlogged.
Feeding: Fertilizer is generally not needed for this common garden weed.
Pruning: Remove seed heads regularly to stop it from spreading.
Repotting: This plant is an annual and completes its life cycle in one season.
Soil: Moist, well drained soil
Soil pH: Neutral to slightly acidic
Temperature: -10 to 30°C
Humidity: 40 to 80%

Safety

People: This plant is not considered toxic to humans.
Children: There are no specific safety concerns for children, though the explosive seed pods might startle them.
Contact allergens: The plant is generally non-irritating to the skin.
Airborne allergens: Pollen production is minimal and rarely causes respiratory issues.
Edibility: While edible, it is often considered a weed and can accumulate heavy metals if growing in contaminated soil.

How to identify it

Small white flowers with four petals
Basal rosette of pinnate leaves
Explosive seed pods when mature
Hairy stems near the base

Height: 0.05 to 0.3m
Spread: 0.05 to 0.2m
Leaves: green, deciduous
Flowers: white, 0.2 to 0.4cm
Fruit: green, brown, late spring

Problems to watch for

Rapid spread · The plant produces seeds so efficiently that it can quickly dominate garden beds.

By symptom

Plant problems by symptom

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Growing it

Propagation: seed
When to plant: autumn, early spring

Grow this in a controlled container if you want to eat it without it taking over your entire garden.

Grows well with

Lettuce · They share similar cool-season requirements.
Spinach · Both plants enjoy the same moist, early spring conditions.

Similar species

Cardamine flexuosa · It is a similar looking species that prefers slightly shadier, wetter spots.

Science

Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Cardamine
Order: Brassicales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Europe and parts of Asia.
Conservation: This is a common, widespread species that is not of conservation concern.

It thrives in disturbed soil and cool, moist conditions, often colonizing gardens and pathways.

Value to wildlife: early nectar source
Pollinators: bees
Uses: edible salad green, foraging

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 2/9
Soil reaction: 5/9
Light: 5/9
Temperature: 4/9
Moisture: 6/9
Nutrients: 5/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Is it a weed?: Yes, many gardeners consider it a persistent weed due to its rapid seed dispersal.
Can I eat it?: Yes, the leaves have a peppery, mustard-like flavor and are great in salads.

Where the name comes from

The name Cardamine comes from the Greek word for cress, while hirsuta refers to the fine hairs found on the leaves.

Good to know

It is commonly known as hairy bittercress.
The seeds can be ejected at speeds of up to 2 meters per second.
It is a member of the mustard family.
It often appears in garden centers as a hitchhiker in pots.

Keep your hairy bittercress growing

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This guide was generated with AI on October 19, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.