Cardamine nuttallii
Nuttall's toothwort
Overview
Cardamine nuttallii is a small, spring-flowering perennial 4-10 inches (10-25 cm) tall, growing from a slender underground rhizome. It produces one or two stem leaves divided into narrow segments, along with rounded basal leaves on long stalks. Pink to lavender flowers, each with four petals 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) long, are held in a small cluster at the top of the stem from February to May. The flowers fade to near white with age. After flowering, slender seed pods 1-1.5 inches (2.5-3.8 cm) long form and split to eject seeds. The plant emerges, flowers, and sets seed early in the year, then dies back to the rhizome by early summer before the forest canopy fully closes. It grows on shaded forest floors and spreads slowly by rhizome. Above-ground growth is brief, present only in late winter and spring.
Native Range
Native to the Pacific Northwest of North America, from British Columbia south through Washington and Oregon to northern California. Grows on shaded floors of moist coniferous and mixed forests and woodland edges, from low elevations to mid mountain slopes.Suggested Uses
Grown in shaded woodland and native plant gardens and among other spring ephemerals, spaced 6-10 inches (15-25 cm) apart. It flowers in early spring before taller plants leaf out, then disappears for the rest of the year. Its early dormancy suits underplanting beneath later-emerging perennials.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 10"
Width/Spread4" - 8"
Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years
Bloom Information
Flowers in early spring, from February to May depending on elevation and weather, with bloom earliest at low elevations. Individual plants flower for about 2-3 weeks, and the display ends as the plant dies back in early summer. Cold, late winters delay the start of flowering.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pink to lavenderFoliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Tolerates up to 4 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in partial to full shade in moist, humus-rich, well-drained forest soil. Water through the spring growing period; the plant uses winter and spring moisture and goes dormant in early summer, so summer dryness is tolerated once it has died back. Acidic to near-neutral soils with leaf litter suit it. It spreads slowly by rhizome and self-sown seed and needs little care in a suitable shaded site. Deep summer drought while in leaf shortens the growing period. It is seldom troubled by pests in shade.Pruning
No pruning is needed. The foliage yellows and dies back on its own in early summer and can be left in place. Spent flower stems may be removed after seed drop to limit self-seeding.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons