Distinguishing Features. Watercress forms a carpet of small round leaves. White flowers appear above the water from March through October. Watercress grows in shallow running water so it is easy to find. Its flowers are small and white and occur in long clusters like other mustards.
How can you tell if a plant is watercress?
The biggest giveaway that identifies watercress is the water… watercress has floating roots which allow it to grow in our gravel lined beds – absolutely no soil required! So, straight away you know anything that’s been grown in soil isn’t watercress.
Where do you get watercress from?
Plants harvested from wild locations should be collected from unpolluted water sources, far away from industrial waterways as the leaves are known to concentrate heavy metals from contaminated environments. Historically speaking, watercress is the United Kingdom's famous wild salad green and long utilized herbal folk medicinal.
What are the different types of watercress?
Types of Watercress Wild Watercress - Nasturtium officinale harvested from wild outdoor locations. Cultivated Watercress - This variety can be grown from Nasturtium officinale seeds or other land cress variations that are easier to grow in controlled conditions.
How many leaves does watercress have?
The stems of watercress are hollow which allow the plant to float above the water's surface. The leaves grow alternately with about 7 or more leaves growing on a short stem branching off a main center stalk. The best way to wildcraft watercress is to cut it off at the stem with scissors.
How to identify watercress?
1. Examine the environment encompassing the plant to see if it fits the requirements for watercress. Watercress, like many other plants, grows in full sun or partial shade, so that piece of information won't help much with identification.
How to tell if watercress is blooming?
Look for groups of small, white four-petal flowers, each with six yellow stamens. The flowers cluster together at the end of fruiting stems, the long, thin pods of which curve upwards. Some flowering stems may not yet have fruit. Watercress blooms through much of the growing season, from spring through fall, so you can often use the flowers to help identify the plant.
What zone does watercress grow in?
Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) grows throughout much of the United States, overwintering in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9. The leaves of the plant are packed with vitamins and nutrients, and have a peppery flavor that accents salads and other foods.
Can you eat watercress raw?
Be careful if you harvest plants from the wild. If they grow in water draining from an agricultural area, they may contain liver fluke parasite. Eating them raw could cause harm.
What is the flavor of watercress?
Like most mustards, watercress has a spicy peppery flavor.
How to harvest watercress?
The easiest way to harvest is to cut its stems at the waterline with scissors. It's also easy to gather by pulling clumps out by the roots if you don't mind cutting the roots off later. Watercress is best used fresh but can be kept indefinitely in water if the water is changed daily. It also does well in wet soil.
What is watercress used for?
Watercress was traditionally used to treat coughs, gout, and arthritis.
Where do watercress live?
How to harvest. Watercress ( Nasturtium officinale) is an edible water plant that commonly occurs throughout the United States, southern Canada, Europe and Asia. It's actually native to Europe and Asia and naturalized elsewhere.
Can you collect watercress from water?
Only collect watercress from clean water sources.
When is the best time to forage for watercress?
That makes spring and fall the ideal seasons to forage watercress.
Is watercress invasive in North Dakota?
Watercress is also considered "noxious and invasive" in 46 states.
When does watercress appear?
Distinguishing Features. Watercress forms a carpet of small round leaves. White flowers appear above the water from March through October. Watercress grows in shallow running water so it is easy to find. Its flowers are small and white and occur in long clusters like other mustards.
What is the taste of watercress?
Watercress is in the Brassicaceae (mustard) family and like wild mustards, this sought-after aquatic plant has a pungent, yet desirable peppery taste. Watercress has likely been gathered as food for hundreds of years.
How tall do watercress plants grow?
Watercress can grow to about 30cm (1') in height. Stems are hollow.
What does a leaf taste like?
Leaves taste bright, fresh, and peppery. Leaves and stems contain high quantities of vitamins (especially vitamins C and K), minerals and Omega-3. Seeds and flowers are also edible. Be sure to harvest from clean sources of water if you want to consume this raw in salads or in sandwiches.
When do white flowers appear in the Southern Hemisphere?
Flowers. White flowers appear above the water from March through October; but at the more northern latitudes it is usually May to July in most locations. Southern hemisphere flowering times are different. It’s inflorescence will be a typical brassica display, appearing at first like a small broccoli-type head.
Is watercress a plant?
Watercress is a glossy-looking, mostly hairless, medium-sized, aquatic or sub-aquatic plant. The stems are hollow and almost circular-shaped with ridges. Numerous rooting hairs are found just below the waterline.
What is Watercress?
Watercress ( Nasturtium officianale) comes from the genus Nasturtium. The name nasturtium in Latin translates as "twisted nose", which makes reference to the leaves effects on the sinus passages when consumed.
How to wildcraft watercress?
The best way to wildcraft watercress is to cut it off at the stem with scissors. It grows back fairly easily as long as the roots remain intact. Remember that stems and flowers, in addition to the leaves, are also edible.
What are cress sprouts?
Popularized in the United Kingdom for its peppery flavor similar to arugula, cress sprouts are a favorite food incorporated into cucumber sandwiches, salads and other side dishes. The leaves are also commonly employed in the culinary world for their unique taste and versatility, used in gourmet cuisine and the infamous "watercress soup.".
How tall does a watercress plant grow?
The plant can be found in shallow slow moving water where it usually grows between 4-12 inches in height, but in some situations can grow much taller. The stems of watercress are hollow which allow the plant to float above the water's surface.
What are the antioxidants in watercress?
Scientific research shows that the leaves of wild watercress are high in antioxidants, like chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments, as well as various phenolic substances.
How much omega is in watercress?
Watercress tested from cultivated varieties, according to Nutrition Data, contains omega fatty acids with a one cup serving of chopped raw watercress containing 7.8 mg of omega-3 and 4.1mg of omega-6.
What is the origin of watercress?
Watercress Cultivation. Historically speaking, watercress is the United Kingdom's famous wild salad green and long utilized herbal folk medicinal. Valued in the 19th century as a staple food source, referred to as "poor man's bread", it was eaten raw as a rolled green vegetable as well as consumed in sandwiches.
What to do with watercress?
Toss into a Salad. The simplest way to prep watercress—and the way that allows its peppery green flavor to shine best—is to toss it into a salad. You can serve it on its own with a light dressing, or toss it with other greens and veggies.
What to do with watercress in food processor?
Zap watercress in the food processor with a little oil and some parsley for a vibrant herb sauce, or add some nuts and cheese and call it pesto.
Can you use watercress in dip?
When it comes to dips and dressing, use watercress the same way you would your favorite fresh herb. Add chopped watercress to mayo for an elegant sauce to serve over poached salmon, or stir it into guacamole and start dipping. Or use it to make a green goddess dip that's greener and more flavorful than all the rest.
Is cress a watercress?
The latter is upland cress, which is a completely different plant but interchangeable with watercress—and especially good in salads where you might not want the thicker more woodsy stems of traditional watercress.
Can you eat watercress after it's harvested?
I'll get to that in a minute. First, two pointers: Once it's harvested, watercress doesn't last very long, so eat it as soon as you can. If it looks a little wilted when you buy it, shock it in a bowl of ice water.
