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bittercress flower Cardamine hirsuta

Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) flowers occur in terminal racemes, with each flower having 4 white petals.


Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) flower


Unlike many plants which must grow to a certain point to reach maturity and flower, bittercress can develop flowers while very small.  Flowering at a small size often occurs when bittercress are under stress, which is common during the warm summer months.  

This ability to flower at a small size is another reason bittercress is difficult to control.  It has been said often that "if you pull weeds before they go to seed, you can stop the next generation from germinating and perpetuating the problem".  Because bittercress flowers at such a small size, hand pulling before the plant goes to seed is challenging.


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