# narrow-leaved bittercress (*Cardamine impatiens*) Narrow-leaved bittercress is a small plant with long, thin leaves. It often grows in wet places and has tiny white flowers that can brighten up any garden! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 27 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![narrow-leaved bittercress](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Cardamine_impatiens_eF.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardamine_impatiens_eF.jpg) ## Appearance The narrow-leaved bittercress is a slender plant with delicate white flowers, each having four tiny petals. Its distinctive basal leaves are deeply lobed or toothed, while stem leaves are noticeably narrower and often clasp the stem. This upright plant features long, thin seed pods that stand erect. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Brassicales - **Family:** Brassicaceae - **Genus:** Cardamine ## Interesting facts - Its scientific name 'impatiens' means 'impatient,' because its seeds burst out so quickly! - Some people call it 'flea cress' because of its incredibly tiny, dark seeds! - This wild plant is a surprising relative of familiar vegetables like broccoli and cabbage! - You might find this tenacious plant growing even in cracks in pavements or walls! ## Special abilities - **Seed Flinger:** Narrow-leaved bittercress can explosively eject its seeds when pods are touched, scattering them far from the parent plant. - **Pioneer Power:** Narrow-leaved bittercress can quickly sprout and grow in disturbed areas, rapidly colonizing new patches of ground. - **Peppery Defense:** Narrow-leaved bittercress has a peppery taste due to mustard oils, deterring some herbivores while making it appealing to humans. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring-Summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Self ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Grey field slug (*Deroceras reticulatum*) — Slugs enjoy its tender leaves, especially when young. - **Eaten by:** Small Cabbage White (*Pieris rapae*) — Its leaves are a food source for caterpillars. - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Honey bees occasionally visit its tiny flowers for nectar. ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [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. - [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. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always check with an adult before touching or eating any plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify narrow-leaved 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 narrow-leaved bittercress? 10-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on narrow-leaved bittercress? 0.2-0.3 cm ### When does narrow-leaved bittercress bloom? Spring-Summer ### Is narrow-leaved bittercress edible? Yes ### Is narrow-leaved bittercress toxic? None ### What is narrow-leaved bittercress's lifecycle? Annual ### How is narrow-leaved bittercress pollinated? Self ## Where to spot - [Bartholomew's Cobble](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bartholomews-cobble) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Bean Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bean-hill-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Belltown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/belltown-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Brattleboro Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brattleboro-downtown-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District - [Cambridge Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cambridge-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Chelsea Parade Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chelsea-parade-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District [View all places to see narrow-leaved bittercress](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/narrow-leaved-bittercress) ## 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: [Narrow-leaved Bittercress: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/narrow-leaved-bittercress)