Wildflower (forb) · Brassicaceae

Stalkless yellowcress

Rorippa sessiliflora

Stalkless yellowcress is recorded as native to 22 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 475 counties of those states by USDA PLANTS.

Recorded native ranges can include long-established populations that spread from gardens; check your state’s native plant society list for local guidance. How native status is decided.

Key facts · USDA PLANTS

Stalkless yellowcress at a glance

Native in: 475 counties, across 22 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 12b PLANTS minimum temperature 52°F
Mature height: 1.5 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Sun to part shade High water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 12b. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of 52°F; zone 12b winters bottom out at 55°F, the coldest half-zone that stays within that limit.

Counties where it is native

The 15 counties with the most ZIP codes among the 475 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Alabama 9 counties
Arkansas 23 counties
District of Columbia 1 county
Florida 6 counties
Illinois 74 counties
Indiana 31 counties
Iowa 17 counties
Kansas 46 counties
Kentucky 20 counties
Louisiana 56 counties
Massachusetts 1 county
Mississippi 19 counties
Missouri 61 counties
Nebraska 16 counties
North Carolina 8 counties
Ohio 8 counties
Oklahoma 18 counties
South Carolina 1 county
Tennessee 30 counties
Texas 22 counties
Virginia 4 counties
Wisconsin 4 counties

Growing traits

Values from the PLANTS characteristics record. “Not recorded” means PLANTS has no value; nothing here is estimated except the zone.

Growth

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Duration: Annual
Mature height: 1.5 ft
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth form: Single Crown
Shape: Erect
Lifespan: Not recorded
Active growth period: Spring, Summer, Fall

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Intermediate (sun to part shade)
Moisture use: High water use
Drought tolerance: None
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: High
Precipitation range: 30 to 60 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Coarse, medium and fine
pH range: 5.5 to 7.5
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: Low
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Minimum root depth: 8 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: 52°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 12b and warmer
Minimum frost-free days: 120
Fire tolerance: Low

Flowers, leaves and fruit

Flower color: Yellow
Showy flowers: Yes
Bloom period: Indeterminate
Foliage color: Green
Showy in fall: No
Keeps leaves: No
Fruit color: Brown

Other

Toxicity: None
Nitrogen fixation: None
Nursery availability: No Known Source
Family: Brassicaceae
PLANTS symbol: ROSE

Source & data date

Source: USDA NRCS PLANTS Database: county distribution records, native status and plant characteristics. CC0 (public domain dedication, per the data.gov catalog record).; Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): native or introduced status by state. CC BY 3.0.; USGS US-RIIS (ver. 2.0): species listed as introduced are excluded. CC0.
Citation: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (https://plants.usda.gov, 11/04/2026). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA.; Govaerts R. (ed.) (2026). WCVP: World Checklist of Vascular Plants. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Data file dated 2026-06-04, http://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/ (retrieved 2026-11-04). Paper: Govaerts R. et al. (2021) The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. Scientific Data 8, 215.
Data date: Retrieved from PLANTS on November 4, 2026; WCVP data file dated June 4, 2026.
Scope: Rorippa sessiliflora (PLANTS symbol ROSE).
Method: A species is listed when it is recorded as native to the state in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in the county by USDA PLANTS. Species PLANTS labels both native and introduced are listed separately. Full method · All sources

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