Nasturtium officinale Watercress (Cruciferae)

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Nasturtium officinale
Watercress
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The Nasturtium officinale plant species is found in Britain. It is a member of the Cruciferae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Watercress. Some home gardeners know the variety as Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum. (L.)Hayek. Sisymbrium nasturtium-aquaticum.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

Latin Name:  Nasturtium officinale
Common Name:  Watercress
Family:  Cruciferae
Author:  R.Br.

Known Hazards:  Whilst the plant is very wholesome and nutritious, some care should be taken if harvesting it from the wild. Any plants growing in water that drains from fields where animals, particularly sheep, graze should not be used raw. This is due to the risk of it being infested with the liver fluke parasite[5, 244]. Cooking the leaves, however, will destroy any parasites and render the plant perfectly safe to eat[244].

Mature Height:  0.5   Mature Width:  1

Habitat:  Stream margins, ditches, flushes etc with moving water[17, 27], usually in chalk or limestone areas[52].

Cultivation Notes: Prefers to grow in water about 5cm deep[37] with an optimum pH 7.2[200]. Plants can be grown in wet soil if the position is somewhat shaded and protection is given in winter, though the flavour may be hotter[27, 37]. Hardy to about -15°c[200]. Watercress is often cultivated for its edible leaves, there are some named varieties[16, 183]. The plant is very sensitive to pollution so a clean source of water is required[200]. Plants will often continue to grow all through mild winters. A fast-growing plant, the stems trail along the ground or float in water and produce new roots at the leaf nodes[238]. The flowers are a rich source of pollen and so are very attractive to bees[7].

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Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
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