# Five-leaflet Bittercress (*Cardamine pentaphyllos*)

The Five-leaflet Bittercress is a small plant with five leaflets on each leaf. It grows in many places and has pretty white flowers that attract bees and butterflies.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![Five-leaflet Bittercress](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cardamine_pentaphyllos.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Patrice78500, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardamine_pentaphyllos.jpg)

## Appearance

The Five-leaflet Bittercress has delicate clusters of small, four-petaled flowers, usually white to pale pink or purple. Its most distinctive feature is its leaves, divided into five to seven oval leaflets. These form a rosette near the base and alternate up its slender, green stem.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Brassicales
- **Family:** Brassicaceae
- **Genus:** Cardamine

## Interesting facts

- Bittercress plants are related to yummy vegetables like broccoli and cabbage!
- Despite its delicate look, this tough plant often grows in cold mountain regions!
- Its scientific name 'Cardamine' comes from the Greek for 'heart-strengthening!'
- Some people call it 'Lamb's Cress' because lambs love to munch on its fresh leaves!

## Special abilities

- **Seed Slinger Power:** Five-leaflet Bittercress can launch its seeds far away when ripe pods burst open, helping it spread to new places.
- **Leafy Larder:** Five-leaflet Bittercress has nutrient-rich leaves that can be eaten, providing a natural food source for various animals and humans.
- **Shade Dweller:** Five-leaflet Bittercress can thrive in cool, shady, moist environments, allowing it to grow where many other plants struggle.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-30 cm
- **Spread:** 5-15 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees visit its flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Eaten by:** [Roe Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roe-deer) (*Capreolus capreolus*) — Deer browse on its tender leaves, especially in spring.
- **Eaten by:** [Garden Snail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garden-snail) (*Helix aspersa*) — Snails and slugs munch on its leaves and stems.

## Traits

- [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.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always check with an adult before touching or picking any plants.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Five-leaflet Bittercress?

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 Five-leaflet Bittercress?

10-30 cm

### How wide does Five-leaflet Bittercress spread?

5-15 cm

### How big are the flowers on Five-leaflet Bittercress?

0.5-1 cm

### When does Five-leaflet Bittercress bloom?

Spring to early summer

### Is Five-leaflet Bittercress edible?

Yes

### Is Five-leaflet Bittercress toxic?

None

### What is Five-leaflet Bittercress's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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*)

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Source: [Five-leaflet Bittercress: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/five-leaflet-bittercress)