Cardamine raphanifolia

Perennial of the Brassicaceae family, Cardamine raphanifolia is native to the mountains of Southern Europe and the Caucasus, where it grows by torrents, in rocky seepages, high-altitude wet meadows, and cool hollows, generally between 1,000 and 2,200 meters.

It forms vigorous, upright clumps 30 to 60 cm in height, with sturdy stems. The leaves are pinnate, with broad and rounded leaflets, of a bright green, reminiscent of its specific epithet referring to radish leaves. The photograph shows it in its characteristic habitat, mingled with lady's mantles and bank grasses, in direct contact with the running water of a mountain stream.

The flowers are bright lilac-pink to purplish-pink, with four well-developed petals, gathered in dense corymbs that crown the stems with a certain exuberance. Their strong color, visible from afar in wet meadows, is one of the most striking features of the species in its natural setting.

In its natural environment, its flowering extends from May to July depending on altitude. In cultivation, it generally occurs in May-June.

It requires a constantly fresh to moist soil, rich in humus, in a sunny to semi-shaded position. It is perfectly suited to the banks of water bodies, wet meadow gardens, and naturalistic compositions of a mountainous character.