Cardamine is a genus in the Brassicaceae family that has fibrous roots, taproots, and tuber-like rhizomes. There are numerous species found in most temperate parts of the world. The ones featured on this page will be ones that have rhizomes.
Cardamine californica is found in shady canyons and woods from Baja California to Oregon. It is one of the first flowers to bloom each year. Photo below taken on Skaggs Springs Road in Sonoma County by Mary Sue Ittner.
Cardamine californica var. californica (with aphids; this bulb was the worst for attracting aphids!) in the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens collection. Photo by Kristina Van Wert.
Cardamine californica var. integrifolia has white flowers and is found in open fields, in mostly heavy wet soils. In a wet year you can sometimes see a mass of white flowers and wonder what it is. This photo by Bob Rutemoeller shows a close-up of flowers growing through Iris douglasiana. These plants are growing also with Camassia quamash. I found it easy to grow from seed, but not so easy to keep going. Perhaps my soil is too dry in summer.
Cardamine californica var. sinuata has round or heart shaped rhizome leaves and soft purple flowers. It is found in northern California and Oregon. This form which was found growing on the Mendocino coast has lovely green and purple leaves which reappear around December. Grown from seed, each leaf seems unique and the variation in the color of the leaves increases as the plant ages. Others found in this area have green leaves that are purple underneath. It's a bit tricky to photograph as it is usually in the shade and it is hard to focus on dark leaves and light flowers.
Photos 1-5 below were taken by Norm Jensen with a tripod and a long exposure. The first picture shows leaves that are almost completely purple and the second with flowers leaves that are green and purple. The third, fourth, and last picture show a close-up of a basal leaf, a stem leaf, and the flowers. Photo 6 was taken by Mary Sue Ittner at a time of day when the spot in my garden was in the sun. Although this plant is dormant late summer until fall, it is growing with Chlorogalum pomeridianum and Viola sempervirens . The latter blooms in summer and the leaves stay green for a long time and the viola is evergreen.
