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Brassicaceae
Hoary Cress
Lepidium draba
Relentless spread and the tenacity of weeds.
- Family
- Brassicaceae
- Genus
- Lepidium
- Native to
- Europe, Western Asia
- Bloom season
- Spring, Early Summer
- Type
- herbaceous perennial
- Height
- 30–60 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- alkaline, clay, disturbed ground
- Water
- low to moderate
- Hardiness
- 3–10
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Also called whitetop, hoary cress forms dense monocultures that crowd out native vegetation across western North America.
- A single plant can spread 4 meters per year through creeping roots, making it extremely difficult to eradicate.
- The flat-topped clusters of tiny white flowers resemble bridal bouquets, belying the plant's invasive nature.
- Root fragments as small as 1 cm can regenerate into new plants, frustrating mechanical control efforts.
- It was likely introduced to North America as a contaminant in alfalfa seed in the early 1900s.
Color meanings
0
persistence
1
invasion
2
unyielding nature