Purple Cress (Cardamine douglassii )

Family: Mustard Family (Brassicaceae)

Other Names: Early Cress, Bulbous Cress

Origin: Native

Historic First Bloom Seen: March 7*

GPS For Stand: N 39°04.647' W 84°24.964'

Interesting Facts: This Legume is an important species to the meadow habitat of the preserve. It has root nodules that are one of the few vessels on earth that can trap atmospheric Nitrogen and convert it to a form that can be readily utilized by plants to make proteins.

*Average bloom time is based on a compilation of wildflower bloom times from 1975 to present.