Wildflower (forb) · Brassicaceae

Spreading yellowcress

Rorippa sinuata

Spreading yellowcress is recorded as native to 25 states and territories in Kew’s World Checklist of Vascular Plants and USDA PLANTS, and recorded in 366 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

Spreading yellowcress at a glance

Native in: 366 counties, across 25 states and territories
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 3b PLANTS minimum temperature −38°F
Mature height: 1 ft PLANTS mature height
Light and water: Full sun (shade-intolerant) Medium water use

Estimated cold hardiness: zone 3b. PLANTS gives a minimum temperature of −38°F; zone 3b winters bottom out at −35°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 366 where it is listed.

Native counties by state

Arizona 3 counties
Arkansas 4 counties
California 8 counties
Colorado 30 counties
Idaho 2 counties
Illinois 22 counties
Iowa 9 counties
Kansas 77 counties
Kentucky 2 counties
Louisiana 1 county
Minnesota 7 counties
Missouri 28 counties
Montana 16 counties
Nebraska 32 counties
Nevada 6 counties
New Mexico 13 counties
North Dakota 13 counties
Oklahoma 14 counties
Oregon 7 counties
South Dakota 24 counties
Texas 24 counties
Utah 2 counties
Washington 4 counties
Wisconsin 1 county
Wyoming 17 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: Perennial
Mature height: 1 ft
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth form: Rhizomatous
Shape: Erect
Lifespan: Short
Active growth period: Spring and Summer

Light and water

Shade tolerance: Intolerant (full sun (shade-intolerant))
Moisture use: Medium water use
Drought tolerance: Low
Tolerance of waterlogged soil: Low
Precipitation range: 12 to 38 in per year

Soil

Soil textures: Coarse and medium
pH range: 5 to 8.5
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: Low
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Minimum root depth: 11 in

Climate

Minimum temperature: −38°F
Estimated cold hardiness: Zone 3b 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: ROSI2

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 sinuata (PLANTS symbol ROSI2).
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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