# coralroot (*Cardamine bulbifera*) Coralroot is a special plant that grows in shady places like forests. It has pretty flowers and unique roots that look like coral, which is how it got its name! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Coralroots ![coralroot](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cardamine_bulbifera_W.jpg&width=800) Photo: Fornax, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardamine_bulbifera_W.jpg) ## Appearance The coralroot bittercress has delicate clusters of white to pale lilac flowers, often with dark veins, atop a slender green stem. Its pinnate leaves feature small, dark, bead-like bulbils in their axils, making it visually distinct from other woodland plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Brassicales - **Family:** Brassicaceae - **Genus:** Cardamine ## Interesting facts - Its small flowers are a favorite snack for hungry deer and other woodland creatures! - This plant is a wild cousin of your garden mustard and radish, tasting a bit spicy! - Tiny black 'plant-babies' grow right on its stem, ready to drop off and become new plants! - When you touch its seed pods, they can burst open, flinging tiny seeds far away! ## Special abilities - **Bulbil Power:** Coralroot can clone itself using tiny dark bulbils that drop off its stem, helping it spread quickly in its woodland home. - **Spring Sprinter:** Coralroot bursts into life early in spring to soak up sunlight before tree leaves fully open, giving it a head start. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 20-60 cm - **Spread:** 10-20 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to Early Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Roe Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roe-deer) (*Capreolus capreolus*) — Commonly grazed by browsing deer. - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers to collect nectar and pollen. - **Eaten by:** [Black Slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-slug) (*Arion ater*) — Slugs sometimes munch on its leaves. - **Eaten by:** Small White Butterfly (*Pieris rapae*) — Its leaves are sometimes a meal for caterpillar larvae. ## Traits - [Mycorrhizal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/mycorrhizal): This trait describes a symbiotic relationship between a fungus and the roots of a plant, benefiting both organisms. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight. - [Symbiotic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/symbiotic): Describes a relationship between two different species where they live in close association, often benefiting one or both. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Don't touch plants unless you know they are safe. Always ask an adult before exploring. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify coralroot? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is coralroot? 20-60 cm ### How wide does coralroot spread? 10-20 cm ### How big are the flowers on coralroot? 1-2 cm ### When does coralroot bloom? Spring to Early Summer ### Is coralroot edible? Yes ### Is coralroot toxic? None ### What is coralroot's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Ryan Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ryan-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Coralroot: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coralroot)