Saddle Mountain Bittercress: A Rare Oregon Native You Shouldn’t Grow
Sometimes the most fascinating plants are the ones we should admire from afar. Meet Saddle Mountain bittercress (Cardamine pattersonii), a botanical treasure that’s so rare and special that it belongs in the wild, not in your garden bed.
What Makes This Plant So Special?
Cardamine pattersonii is what botanists call a true endemic – a plant that exists nowhere else on Earth except in a tiny corner of Oregon. This little forb (a non-woody flowering plant) is part of the mustard family and represents a unique piece of our Pacific Northwest heritage that took thousands of years to evolve.
Where Does It Call Home?
This rare bittercress is native only to Oregon, where it clings to existence in extremely limited locations. With a Global Conservation Status of S2, it’s considered Imperiled – meaning there are typically only 6 to 20 known populations with just 1,000 to 3,000 individual plants remaining in the wild.
Why You Shouldn’t Plant It (And What to Grow Instead)
Here’s the thing about Saddle Mountain bittercress – it’s so rare that attempting to grow it could actually harm wild populations. Here’s why responsible gardeners should skip this one:
- Extremely limited wild populations that need protection
- Unknown growing requirements make cultivation nearly impossible
- Removing seeds or plants from wild populations could push the species toward extinction
- No commercially available sources exist (and shouldn’t exist)
Better Native Alternatives for Your Garden
The good news? Oregon has plenty of other native Cardamine species and similar plants that you can grow responsibly! Consider these alternatives:
- Cardamine nuttallii (Nuttall’s bittercress) – more widely distributed and garden-friendly
- Cardamine oligosperma (Little western bittercress) – another Pacific Northwest native
- Other native mustard family members like watercress or native wallflowers
How You Can Help Instead
Want to support Saddle Mountain bittercress without growing it? Here are meaningful ways to help:
- Support local native plant societies and conservation organizations
- Participate in citizen science projects that monitor rare plant populations
- Create habitat for common native species in your garden
- Spread awareness about Oregon’s rare plant heritage
The Bigger Picture
Plants like Cardamine pattersonii remind us that gardening with natives isn’t just about what we can grow – it’s about understanding our role as stewards of the natural world. Sometimes the most loving thing we can do for a plant is to leave it wild and focus our gardening energy on species that can thrive in cultivation without compromising wild populations.
By choosing abundant native alternatives and supporting conservation efforts, we can enjoy beautiful native gardens while helping ensure that future generations might still discover Saddle Mountain bittercress blooming in its natural Oregon home.
