Today’s featured plant is Winter Cress, Barbarea vulgaris.
Winter Cress is also known as Bittercress, Common cress, Indian posey, Land cress, St. Barbara herb, Scurvy cress, Upland cress, Yellow rocket.
Range and Identification of Winter Cress
Although native to Asia and Europe, winter cress is now naturalized in much of North America. It can be found throughout most of the United States and Canada (see map).
It can grow in sandy or loamy soil, and prefers full sun and moist ground. It appears in most spots other weeds might appear in, such as open fields or along roads or railroad tracks.
The plant grows from 1 to 2 feet tall. Leaves alternate along the stalk, and are coarsely toothed and roughly club-shaped. Leaves are 3-5 inches long, and the higher ones tend to attach to the stem. (Wildflowers of Wisconsin)
The flowers are yellow (like buttercup or dandelions), and are regular in shape. They grow in clusters near the top of the plant. The plant is biennial (it requires two growing seasons to complete its life cycle). During the first growing season it produces mainly foliage. In its second year it will flower and set seed. It is often one of the first plants to flower in spring.
When I was a little girl, I remember certain fields being full of this plant, especially low lying ones. Sometimes there would be another sea of yellow right on the heels of the dandelion blossoms.
Winter Cress as Food for Wildlife and People
Winter Cress flowers is important as an early season source of nectar and pollen for bees and some butterflies. Its seeds are eaten by some birds such as doves and grosbeaks.
Before the plant blossoms (for second year plants) or after the first fall frosts (for first year plants), the leaves are edible as salad greens, although bitter. Once it has blossomed, the leaves become so bitter as to be inedible. Caution is advised in eating the raw plant, only small amounts 1 tbls. chopped leaves or less. (source) Unopened blossoms (buds) are edible if cooked lightly in a manner similar to broccoli. The plant is rich in vitamins C and A. Check out a recipe for stir fried winter cress here.
Medicinal Uses of Winter Cress
The plant is said to possess anti-carcinogenic (anti-cancer) properties. Cherokee Indians used a tea brewed from the aerial parts as a blood purifier. It is also used as an appetite stimulator (bitter greens). Europeans used poulticed leaves to treat wounds.
Winter Cress also works as a mild antitussive (cough suppressor), a bitter (aids digestion), and may have a slight diuretic effect (helps get rid of excess water).
As always, any medical information is for informational purposes only. Always exercise caution when using any wild plants, as allergic reactions and drug interactions are rare but may happen. Always make sure to clearly identify your plants and harvest from a clean area. Visit this post to see my favorite wildcrafting books.
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Mountain Rose Herbs stocks many of the herbs and plants featured on Wildcrafting Wednesday. They also carry an assortment of bottles, droppers and other supplies.
Wildcrafting Wednesday #38
Once again, I’m joining up with Kathy at Mind, Body and Sole and Sharon at Wood Wife’s Journal to host Wildcrafting Wednesday. Please share your stories on how you incorporate herbs into day-to-day life. We welcome anything and everything herbal – from crafts to cleaning to tinctures to cooking. Home remedies for common ailments are especially appreciated.
Self-sufficient living and back-to-basics tips to save food, money, and resources are great, too – if it involves traditional methods of homemaking and home healing then we want to read about it! Maybe you’ve got a sweet stillroom, a beautiful herb garden or a handy cold frame – tell us about it.
Just link up your post using the linky widget, add a link back here, and leave a comment below telling a bit about your post. Return links benefit everyone, so please don’t skip that step. Older posts are welcome, but skip the giveaways, since those links become outdated. (You can leave a link to a giveaway in the comments, that’s fine.)
Top posts from last week’s hop were:
Lotion Bar Recipes from Natural Mothers Network
10 Homemade Mother’s Day Gifts from Revitalise Your Health
Using Vinegar as Fabric Softener Review by Green Idea Reviews
Thanks so much to everyone who joined in. We’d love to see you again!
