Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Bittercress in flower
COURTESY SHUTTERSTOCK/© SLOWFISH
WATERCRESS
Nasturtium officinale
Like other plants named cress, watercress is a medicinal, stimulating appetite, cleansing the blood, and
acting as a diuretic. With a biting flavor reminiscent of radish and horseradish, it is often eaten raw in
salads but can also be cooked. Its leaves can be harvested from autumn until the following spring, but
once the plant flowers, they become fairly bitter. The plant has special ecological requirements: it
needs clean, flowing water and in the wild grows along clear-flowing creeks; it is an endangered spe-
cies in Austria.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
• 10 ft.
2
(1 m
2
) of well-developed and well-overwintered plants
• a garden bed that can be irrigated and drained
• a spring or creek with clean, somewhat hard water
