Cardamine bulbosa aka Bulbous Bittercress

Cardamine bulbosa is known as bulbous bittercress. It is a perennial, so it grows back each year. It does not live for just one season. It belongs to the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its native range covers central and eastern North America. This includes parts of Canada and the United States. Kew places it in the temperate zone. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. In the wild, it grows by springs and in meadows. It also grows in lowland woods near water. These sites show its taste for moist or wet ground.

The plant grows about 1.6 feet [0.5 metres] tall. Kew calls its life form perennial or rhizomatous geophyte. This means growth below ground can help it live on. The supplied species account says little about how it looks. It does not describe the leaves, stems, or fruit. The plant blooms from April through August. Plants For A Future says seeds ripen from May through September.

Each flower has both male and female organs. Bees, flies, moths, and butterflies pollinate the flowers. The plant is also self-fertile: it can use its own pollen. Plants For A Future lists sand, loam, and clay as suitable soils. The soil can be mildly acid, neutral, or mildly alkaline. It can grow in light shade or full sun. The species account places it in USDA zones 4–8. Yet its growing notes doubt its hardiness in Britain. Some care notes draw on the wider genus. They do not establish this species' exact garden needs.

Plants For A Future lists woodland edges and bog gardens as sites. These uses fit the wet places where the species grows. Its notes on raising plants suggest sowing seed outdoors in April. They call for a seedbed in a shady spot. Move young plants to their final sites in autumn or spring. You can also split plants in spring to raise more. Large pieces can go straight into their final sites. Grow smaller pieces in pots until they root well.

You can eat the leaves raw or add them to salads. Grated rootstock adds a sharp, hot taste to food. Plants For A Future compares this use with horseradish. The source reports no known hazards. This does not mean it is safe for everyone. It lists no known uses as medicine or for other purposes. It also records no weed potential. The supplied evidence gives no pest or disease details for this species.