aka Flick weed, Jumping Jesus, Small Bittercress, Common Bittercress, Hoary Bittercress, Pennsylvania Bittercress, Popping Bittercress
Scientific name: Cardamine Hirsuta
A small plant of the Family Cruciferae, or Brassicaceae and akin to the mustards. The leaves are edible, lending a tangy addition to salads.
Hairy Bittercress is distributed throughout the northern US as well as the southeast, growing at altitudes up to 3800 feet. The plant is an annual or sometimes biennial due to late sprouting carryover seedlings. The plant has white
flowers with 4 petals, each flower possessing 4
stamens. It flowers for much of the year. Height is usually from 6-12 inches.
Cotyledons and first true leaves possess small hairlike structures, thus the name. It produces seed
pods which spring open at a touch, widely dispersing the seeds.
Control consists of digging or pulling before seeding. If plants possess seed pods, removal of pulled plants is needed to prevent reseeding. Plants also are susceptible to herbicide control before seeding. The plant is quite aggressive, sprouting readily and growing easily in sunny areas. It is usually regarded as a nuisance species.
Sources:
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/hairybcrs.htm
http://www.ppws.vt.edu/scott/weed_id/carhi.htm
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=84
http://www.plant-identification.co.uk/skye/cruciferae/cardamine-hirsuta.htm
BrevityQuest 2007