Cardamine quinquefolia aka Whorled Coralroot

Cardamine quinquefolia is a low plant that spreads and lives for years. It belongs to Brassicaceae, the cabbage family. Its home range runs from southeastern Europe to northern Iran. It grows in regions with a temperate climate. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. Gardeners also call it five-leaved cuckoo flower. Its old scientific name is Dentaria quinquefolia. It has soft, not woody, growth and sheds its leaves each year.

Its creeping growth forms a low cover across the soil. The RHS gives its height as about 1 foot [0.3 metres]. Its wider range gives heights to 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. Full-grown plants spread 1.6–3.3 feet [0.5–1 metre] across. They take two to five years to reach full size. The green leaves have five lobes. Many pink-lilac blooms grow in groups above the leaves. Chicago Botanic Garden calls their colour lavender. It gives March to April as the bloom time. This fits the RHS account of blooms in early spring.

The leaves die back in early summer, ending the ground cover. It thus covers the ground in spring, not all year. Use it beneath deciduous trees, shrubs, or roses. Deciduous plants shed their leaves each year. It also suits woodland gardens, beds, and informal borders. Its low growth brings blooms to gaps beneath taller plants. Plan for the leaves to die back in summer. Both the RHS and Chicago Botanic Garden list it for ground cover.

Choose part or full shade and a site with shelter. The RHS advises soil rich in humus beneath deciduous plants. Humus is the part of soil made from decayed matter. The plant accepts chalk, clay, loam, and sand. Its stated range includes acid, neutral, and alkaline soils. It suits moist soil that drains well but tolerates dry soil. Chicago Botanic Garden also says it prefers moist soil. The RHS gives it a hardiness rating of H7. Chicago Botanic Garden gives USDA zones 4–8.

It needs little care and no pruning. Sow seed in autumn or spring to grow new plants. You can also split grown plants in spring. Aphids and flea beetles may attack the plant. On the whole, though, pests cause few problems. The RHS also reports few problems with disease. The supplied sources give no guidance on this species' edible parts. They give no guidance on its toxicity either.