Hairy Bittercress

Cardamine hirsuta

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in disturbed areas, including fields and gardens. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 71%

Height: 3–10 inches
Spread: 3–6 inches
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

See native alternatives

Cardamine hirsuta — flower photograph — (c) Gavin Slater, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

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At a glance

Life cycle: Annual

Not yet recorded · Leaves · Bloom

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 54 Arkansas counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food. 127 animals.

Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Eastern Screech-owl
Megascops asio
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Eurasian Collared-dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Birds. 2 shared habitats
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Great Egret
Ardea alba
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Green Heron
Butorides virescens
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Hairy Woodpecker
Picoides villosus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Harris's Sparrow
Zonotrichia querula
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Hooded Merganser
Lophodytes cucullatus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Kentucky Warbler
Oporornis formosus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Louisiana Waterthrush
Seiurus motacilla
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Mississippi Kite
Ictinia mississippiensis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
Birds. 2 shared habitats

All wildlife of Arkansas

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

1CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Cardamine

Anthocharis mideaFalcate Orangetip

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Cardamine

Andrena arabis

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Cardamine

Lagopus lagopusWillow Ptarmigan

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Brassicaceae
Hardiness: Zones 4a–8b
Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline
Flower color: White

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Flower color · “White” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “3–10 inches” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Annual” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
primary_flower_color · “white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “3–6 inches” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Hairy Bitter Cress

Conservation status

Arkansas rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
AR status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source