Cardaria spp.
Hoary Cress, Cress, Whitetop
Cardaria spp.
- ANPC Rank –
- Moss, Flora of Alberta – Common
- Global Invasive Species Database – No
- NatureServe Rank – Not yet assessed
- Haber, Upland – No
- Haber, Wetland – No
- CWF, Status & Invasive Range – No
- Alberta Revegetation Guidelines – No
- The Nature Conservancy – Yes, w/ ESA
- CBCN – No
- AB Weed – Noxious
Remarks
Whitetop or Hoary cress describes several species that come with a confusing array of common names and latin synonyms including:
- globe-podded hoary cress — Lepidium appelianum Al-Shehbaz
- heart-podded hoary cress — Lepidium draba L.
- lens-podded hoary cress — Lepidium chalepense L.
- Hairy Whitetop - Cardaria pubescens (C.A. Meyer) Jarmolenko, and
- Lenspod Whitetop - Cardaria chalepensis (L.) Hand-Maz.,
According to the USDA Plants Database[1], [2],
all of these species occur in AB.
All of them are considered "noxious" (hoary cress - Lepidium) under the Weed Control Act Regulation[3].
Not especially competitive in established communities, but can spread underground like Creeping Thistle and be very persistent.
Cutting or herbicide are most effective when plants are in full flower, and relatively ineffective prior to that stage.
[4]
Link to USDA Plants Profile for Cardaria Desv. whitetop
Pictures
References
Lyons, Kelly E., "ELEMENT STEWARDSHIP ABSTRACT for Cardaria draba (L.) Desv., Heart-podded hoary cress, Cardaria chalepensis (L.) Hand-Maz., Lens-podded hoary cress, and Cardaria pubescens (C.A. Meyer) Jarmolenko. Globe-podded hoary cress", UC Davis and The Nature Conservancy. [5].
Map references
sample: Map data for T. ramosissima