New Zealand bittercress is a herbaceous perennial weed in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) that is a native of New Zealand and has a widespread distribution in many of the nearby islands. It has spread to Australia, North America, Great Britain, and Western Europe and is found in naturalized paths, cultivated areas, crevices, ledges, stream banks, forests, disturbed areas and forest margins, The genus name is derived from the Greek word, "Kardamon," and translated means "cress." The species name is from the Latin "corymb," which refers to the flower's inflorescence. The plant will grow in full sun to partial shade in most soil types including rocky and seasonally wet and dry sites. New Zealand bittercress was found in a container nursery in Wilkes County, North Carolina and was traced to a distribution nursery in Oregon. The plant appears wiry and fragile. It is very small and low growing, creeping along the ground and forming off-sets. Single white flowers appear on upright stems from a basal rosette of bright green leaves. Seedpods arise at the top of the stem and burst open to release the seeds. When found, it is best to remove the plant as soon as possible to prevent further spread. They can flower and mature in just a few weeks. Control is by hand weeding, preventing the plant from blooming and herbicides. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems More information on Cardamine .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Moist | Occasional Flooding | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 3 in. - 0 ft. 6 in. | Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Prostrate
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Cordate; Obtuse
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The green leaves form a single flat rosette or short lateral branches. They are generally single, egg-shaped leaflet on a long petiole, and occasionally have a pair of smaller leaflets below. The leaves are glabrous to sparsely hairy. They will make off-set plants at the nodes.
Flower color
White
Flower form
Corymb
Flower shape
Cross
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small, single, white, four-petaled flowers arise from the stems. They bloom from early spring to fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Gold/Yellow; Green; Purple/Lavender
Fruit type
Siliqua
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The seedpods emerge from the flower before the petals have dropped. Siliqua is smooth. They appear green, and then at maturity appear purple-brownish color. When they dehisce, tiny light green to light yellow-brown seeds is released.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The stem for the flower is green and approximately 2-3 inches long.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Tasmania, New Zealand, Macquarie Islands
Distribution
Native to Antipodean Island, Chatham Island, Macquarie Island, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, and Tasmania. Introduced in Australia, Great Britain, western Europe, and United States--North Carolina and Oregon
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Siliqua
Landscape Use
Garden tags
#contaminated nursery stock #disturbed areas #weedy #lawn #white flowers