Cardamine nasturtioides

Cardamine nasturtioides is native to Chile and lives for several years. It is part of Brassicaceae, the mustard family. Plants For A Future gives its height as 1 foot [0.3 metres]. This makes it a low plant for damp garden sites. In the wild, it grows in moist, shaded places. The source gives no details on leaf shape or stem form. It does not state how wide a full-grown plant spreads.

The plant blooms from April through August. Its seeds ripen from May through September. These two stages overlap for much of that time. Each flower has both male and female organs. Bees, flies, moths, and butterflies carry pollen between the flowers. The plant can also set seed with its own pollen. The source does not state the flower colour or fruit shape. These gaps leave parts of its looks unknown.

The species entry lists part shade and full sun as suitable. It says the plant prefers moist soil. It can grow in sandy soil, loam, or clay. The stated soil pH range runs from mildly acid to neutral to mildly alkaline. But the source has little information on growing this species. Its fuller advice on shade and humus comes from the genus. Do not treat that advice as tested needs for this species. How well it copes with cold in Britain remains unclear. The source gives no confirmed hardiness zone.

The source suggests woods with patchy shade, shaded edges, and bog gardens. These uses fit the damp sites where the species grows. It describes how to grow plants from seed or divide them in spring. It suggests sowing seed outdoors in a shaded seedbed in April. Move young plants to their final sites in autumn or spring. Replant larger clumps straight away after you divide them. Grow smaller pieces in pots until they have good roots. The entry names no specific pests or diseases.

You can eat the leaves raw; they taste sharp and hot. They can add a strong, hot taste to salads. Plants For A Future rates their food value two out of five. It reports no known hazards, but this is not a full safety assessment. The entry lists no known medicinal uses or other uses. It also reports no risk of the plant becoming a weed.