Family: Brassicaceae (Cabbage family).
Native of the Northern Hemisphere.
Occurrence: A widespread and common weed in gardens and nurseries. It is an environmental weed.
Identification:
- it has a leaf rosette at the base of the plant
- the leaves are divided into leaflets, and the terminal leaflet is larger and often kidney-shaped
- the flowers have four small white petals
- the plant is usually from 5 to 10 cm high
- the small fruit are borne along the stem, and release seed soon after flowering.
The rapid growth, even in winter, and its rapid production of seed, help Bitter-cress to be a successful garden weed. It is an annual.
Right 1 and 3: Leaf rosettes of seedlings. Common Bitter-cress flowers at an early stage and will will produce more seeds as the stems elongate.
2: Garden weed.
