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Cardamine raphanifolia - Pourr.

Common Name
Family Brassicaceae or Cruciferae
USDA hardiness 4-8
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Damp places and streamsides in mountains.
Range Europe - France, Spain and Italy. Occasionally established in Britain.
Edibility Rating    (1 of 5)
Other Uses    (2 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Wet Soil Full shade Semi-shade
Cardamine raphanifolia


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pinpin
Cardamine raphanifolia
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Pinpin

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Cardamine raphanifolia is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). The plant is self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist or wet soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

C. latifolia non Lej.

Habitats

Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground Cover; Bog Garden;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves
Edible Uses:

We have no information on the edibility of this plant but the leaves are almost certainly edible[K].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Plants can be grown as a ground cover, making a fairly good carpet in a moist position[208].

Special Uses

Ground cover

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Prefers a moist humus rich soil in shade or semi-shade[200] but succeeds in most soils that are not dry[1]. Plants are closely related to C. pratensis[17].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

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The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees, and Woodland Gardening. Our new book to be released soon is Edible Shrubs.

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Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 weeks at 15°c[175]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame for the first two years, planting them out when dormant in late summer. Division in early spring or after the plant dies down in the summer. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Plant Search

Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Cardamine amaraLarge BittercressPerennial0.6 4-8  LMHSNM31 
Cardamine amaraeformis Annual0.0 -  LMHSNM20 
Cardamine bonariensis Annual0.0 -  LMHSNM20 
Cardamine bulbiferaCoral Root, Coralroot bittercressPerennial0.5 4-8  LMHSNM20 
Cardamine bulbosaBulbous BittercressPerennial0.5 4-8  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine debilisRoadside bittercressPerennial0.3 0-0  LMHSNM20 
Cardamine fauriei Perennial0.3 4-8  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine flexuosaWavy Bittercress,Woodland bittercressAnnual/Perennial0.5 4-8  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine glacialis Perennial0.3 -  LMHSNM20 
Cardamine heptaphylla Perennial0.4 -  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine hirsutaHairy BittercressAnnual0.3 4-8  LMHSNM301
Cardamine impatiensNarrowleaf bittercressAnnual/Biennial0.6 4-8  LMHSNMWe210
Cardamine kitaibelii Perennial0.2 5-9  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine komarovii Perennial0.3 -  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine leucantha Perennial0.6 4-8  LMHSNMWe21 
Cardamine loxostemonoidesCuckoo FlowerAnnual0.3 -  LMHSNM10 
Cardamine lyrata Perennial0.5 6-9  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine macrophylla Perennial0.3 5-9  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine nasturtioides Perennial0.3 -  LMHSNM20 
Cardamine nipponica Perennial0.1 -  LMHSNM10 
Cardamine oligospermaSpring Cress, Little western bittercress, Umbel bittercressAnnual/Biennial0.3 0-0  LMHSNMWe21 
Cardamine pennsylvanicaBittercressBiennial/Perennial0.6 4-8  LMHSNMWe21 
Cardamine pentaphyllos Perennial0.3 -  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine pratensisCuckoo FlowerPerennial0.5 4-8  LMHSNMWe322
Cardamine prorepens Perennial0.4 4-8  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine rotundifoliaAmerican Water Cress, American bittercressPerennial0.3 5-9  LMHSNMWeWa20 
Cardamine schinziana Perennial0.3 4-8  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine scutata Annual/Biennial0.3 4-8  LMHSNMWe20 
Cardamine trifolia Perennial0.2 6-9  LMHFSMWE103
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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Expert comment

Author

Pourr.

Botanical References

17200

Links / References

For a list of references used on this page please go here

Readers comment

   Jan 28 2011 12:00AM

The leaves of this cress are very tasty and are available almost all year. A very worthwhile plant. Ours was collected from the Pyrenees in a streamside habitat. Very hardy. Attractive mauve flowers in April/May.

   Jul 16 2012 12:00AM

I was introduced to this plant by a keen wild food chef in the Scottish highlands who hoped I could ID what he called "giant watercress". I was as baffled as him and the few other wild-fooders he had consulted. We recognised it as brassicacae and probably cardamine and were happy to eat and enjoy it without quite pinning it down. Subsequent appeals on Twitter and internet searches shed no further light and we put it down as a fence jumping cultivar. 2 months later I stumbled on it again in a Galloway wetland among mint, hemlock WD, reedmace and rushes. This time Twitter came up with the name! I'm not sure why previous google searches hadn't shed light. I'm delighted to report that it is truly delicious, with a sharp but pleasing watercress flavour with overtones of more common cardamine species. Stems are tender and succulent. It wilts very quickly after picking. I have enjoyed it both raw through salads and wilted as a side-vegetable, but will be restricting further consumption until i've monitored it for a while. Thanks for your great resource.

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Subject : Cardamine raphanifolia  
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