Cardamine hirsuta - Hairy Bitter Cress Flashcards
1
Q
Cardamine hirsuta - Hairy Bitter Cress
General
A
Small, short-lived ephemeral/annual plant.
Spread by seed, dispersed from spring-like seed pods.
Found on freshly cultivated land, borders, pots paving and vegetable plots.
2
Q
Cardamine hirsuta - Hairy Bittercress
Lifecycle
A
Ephemeral- can complete lifecycle in 3 to 4 weeks.
Disperses thousands of seeds via exploding seed dispersal mechanism on seed pod.
Wind will then carry these seeds further.
Completely hardy, will survive all winter and then flower in early spring.
Seeds remain dormant in soil and can be present in new plants, manures and soils brought into gardens.
Rapid spread can infest whole garden - best to catch plant before it sets seed!
