Milk maids

Cardamine californica is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to about 1 foot tall.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, it is one of the first wildflowers to bloom, with blossoms from January to May. The clusters of white flowers are a good butterfly nectar plants as well as providing food for butterfly larvae. It prefers to grow in some shade after California’s winter rain.

After flowering and setting seed it dies back to it’s roots where it goes dormant until next year’s rains awaken it. Good under oaks.

Sun: Part Shade

Water: Dry, Light, Moderate

Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand

Other: Attracts Butterflies, Drought Tolerant