Big western bittercress facts for kids

Big western bittercress (scientific name: Cardamine occidentalis) is a type of plant found in the western parts of North America. You can find it growing in wet, mountainous areas from Alaska all the way down to northwestern California.

What Does Big Western Bittercress Look Like?

Big western bittercress is a perennial herb. This means it's a plant that lives for more than two years. It grows from very small underground stems called rhizomes. These rhizomes help the plant spread.

The plant has a stem that can grow straight up or lean over. Sometimes, new roots can grow from the stem where it touches the ground.

At the bottom of the plant, there's a bunch of leaves. Each leaf has its own small stalk, called a petiole. These leaves are also divided into many smaller parts called leaflets. You'll also find several leaves growing along the main stem.

When it blooms, the big western bittercress has small white flowers. Each petal is only a few millimeters long, which is about the size of a tiny ant!

After the flower fades, it forms a fruit called a silique. This fruit is long and thin, like a small pod. It usually measures about 2 to 3 centimeters long.