Barbarea verna Land Cress PFAF Plant Database

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Barbarea verna - (Mill.)Asch.

Common Name

Land Cress

Family

Brassicaceae or Cruciferae

Synonyms

B. praecox. (Sm.)R.Br. Campe verna.

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Waste and cultivated ground.

Range

S.W. Europe. Naturalized in Britain[17].

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

Barbarea verna is a BIENNIAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in).
It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to July, and the seeds ripen from Jun to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Flies, bees, beetles, self.The plant is self-fertile.

Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.


(c) 2010 Ken Fern & Plants For A Future

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projet:Botanique/Accord_Henry_Brisse

Habitats
Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; North Wall. By.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves; Oil; Seed.
Edible Uses: Oil.

Young leaves - raw, cooked or used as a seasoning[1, 2, 33, 37, 52]. A hot, spicy watercress flavour, they are delicious in salads[183, 244]. Leaves can be obtained throughout the year if autumn-sown plants are given a light protection in winter[1]. An edible oil is obtained from the seed[46, 52, 61, 183]. The seed can be sprouted and added to salads etc[183].

Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally. None known

Other Uses
Oil. None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in sun or shade in a moist well-drained soil,[200] growing well on a north facing wall[33, 52]. The summer crop is best if it is given some shade whilst the winter crop succeeds in sunny positions[1, 200]. Land cress is often cultivated as a salad plant, when it is usually treated as an annual[46]. It can supply leaves all year round from successional sowings[1]. In hot weather plants soon run to seed unless they are kept shaded and moist[183]. The leaves taste much hotter in the summer[K]. Plants usually self-sow freely when growing in a suitable position[K].

Propagation
Seed - sow spring to September in situ at 3-weekly intervals to provide a succession of leaves. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 3 weeks.

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Expert comment

Author
(Mill.)Asch.

Botanical References
200

Links / References

[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2]Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World.

Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[33]Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table.

Unusual vegetables that can be grown outdoors in Britain. A good guide.

[37]Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant.

Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.

[46]Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants.

An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[52]Larkcom. J. Salads all the Year Round.

A good and comprehensive guide to temperate salad plants, with full organic details of cultivation.

[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.

Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.

Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[244]Phillips. R. & Foy. N. Herbs

Deals with all types of herbs including medicinal, culinary, scented and dye plants. Excellent photographs with quite good information on each plant.

Readers comment

Elizabeth H.
Barbara Cook	Tue May 1 2007

Some people eat 6-12 raw seed pods of this plant before food in the AM and PM as a vermifuge. Also used similarly to horseradish for catarrh, cold, indigestion, and flatulence. Its actions are considered mild.

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