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Common Pepperweed

Lepidium densiflorum

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

57
Strong

Native to Louisiana (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height
6–20 inches
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual or biennial

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves · Bloom

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

Recorded in 18 Louisiana parishes.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 2

Prairies and grasslands

Open, grass-dominated places kept open by fire, grazing or thin soil, from tallgrass prairie to Piedmont prairies.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

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

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

12CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · Lepidium

  • Anthocharis mideaFalcate Orangetip
  • Ascia monusteGreat Southern White
  • Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
  • Eustixia pupulaSpotted Peppergrass Moth
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Hellula phidilealisCabbage Budworm
  • Hellula rogatalisCabbage Webworm
  • Plutella porrectellaDame's Violet Moth, Dame's Rocket Moth
  • Pontia protodiceCheckered White
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Show all 12
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Xanthorhoe labradorensisLabrador Carpet, Packard’s Carpet
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
7BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Lepidium

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
5BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Centrocercus urophasianusGreater Sage-Grouse
  • Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
  • Perdix perdixGray Partridge
  • Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
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

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Brassicaceae
Flower color
Green

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Common Peppergrass

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNR
Global rankG5
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources