Boechera patens, commonly called spreading rockcress,[1][2][3][4] is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family (Brassicaceae).

It is a short-lived biennial forb native to North America.

Its natural habitat is xeric soil, often on calcareous substrates.

[5] Boechera patens is found in the United States in the states of Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

It grows in rocky wooded slopes, limestone bluffs, and along shady stream banks.