In The Garden Now…..Three-Leaf Cardamine

Cardamine

Text and Photo 

by Victoria Gilleland 

This is one of my favorite European impThree-Leaf Cardamine is a dainty looking evergreen groundcover that flourishes in shade. 

Tiny white flowers dance above the foliage in spring and may bloom again in summer if plants have had ample summer water. 

As far as wildlife goes bees and other pollinators love this plant and deer tend to leave it alone. Woo Who! 

Plants typically form a neat circular clump about a foot across and six inches high. 

The white cup shaped flowers are held on wiry stems above the foliage. Cardamine grows happily in clay or sandy soils and is quite drought tolerant once established. 

A shady woodland garden is the perfect place to grow this little gem. If you could use a good looking easy care ground cover for that shady spot in the garden don’t pass this one up!

(Botanical Name: Cardamine trifolia)

Victoria Gilleland is the owner of Cottage Garden Designs, a Garden Design company specializing in Redesign of Residential Gardens, Garden Consultation and Coaching. She has been designing gardens in the Northwest for over 25 years. ( vjgilleland@yahoo.com )