Common Name:

General Information

Cardamine pentaphyllos is a herbaceous perennial plan spreading by means of short rhizomes to form a clump; the unbranched stems are around 25 - 50cm tall, occasionally to 70cm[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Western and Central Europe - Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, former Yugoslavia.

Habitat

Moist to wet sites in beech forests; at elevations from 1,500 - 1,800 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.35 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a moist humus rich soil in shade or semi-shade[] but succeeds in most soils that are not dry[]. This species was seen growing and thriving in well-drained soil in fairly heavy dappled shade in a woodland garden at Cambridge Botanical Gardens in 1999[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[]. A bitter cabbage-like flavour with a hint of radish when eaten raw, it will probably be somewhat nicer when cooked[].
Flowers - raw[]. A bitter cabbage-like flavour with a hint of radish[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination usually takes place within 1 - 3 weeks at 15°c[]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame for the first two years, planting them out when dormant in late summer.
Division in early spring or after the plant dies down in the summer. Larger clumps can be replanted direct into their permanent positions, though it is best to pot up smaller clumps and grow them on in a cold frame until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the spring.