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Common Name: Cress

General Information

Lepidium sativum is an annual plant that can grow up to 0.45 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Of uncertain origin, possibly Iran. Naturalized in Britain.

Habitat

Not known in a truly wild situation.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.45 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils[]. For the best results, however, it requires a moist soil and also some shade during the summer to prevent it running straight to seed[, , ].
Garden cress is often cultivated as a sprouted seed, there are some named varieties[]. It is the cress of 'mustard and cress'. A very easy and fast crop, it can be ready within 7 days from sowing the seed[]. It can also be grown outdoors as full grown plants and can provide fresh leaves for the salad bowl all year round from successional sowings. Plants can be overwintered outdoors to provide edible leaves all year round, though they will require some protection if temperatures fall below -5°c[]. This plant is cultivated in Ethiopia for the edible oil from its seed[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - raw or cooked[, , , , , ]. A hot cress-like flavour, it makes an excellent addition (in small quantities) to the salad bowl[]. An analysis is available.
Root is used as a condiment[, ]. A hot pungent flavour, but the root is rather small and woody[].
The fresh or dried seedpods can be used as a pungent seasoning[].
The seed can be sprouted in relatively low light until the shoots are a few centimetres long and then be used in salads[]. They take about 7 days to be ready and have a pleasantly hot flavour.
An edible oil is obtained from the seed[, , ].

Medicinal

The leaves are antiscorbutic, diuretic and stimulant[, ].
The plant is administered in cases of asthma, cough with expectoration and bleeding piles[].
The root is used in the treatment of secondary syphilis and tenesmus[].
The seeds are galactogogue. They have been boiled with milk and used to procure an abortion, they have been applied as a poultice to pains and hurts and have also been used as an aperient[].

Other Uses

The seed yields up to 58% of an edible oil that can also be used for lighting[].

Propagation

Seed - if you want a succession of young leaves then it is possible to sow the seed in situ every 3 weeks in succession from early spring to early autumn. Germination is very rapid, usually taking place in less than a week.
When sowing seed for use in mustard and cress, the seed is soaked for about 12 hours in warm water and then placed in a humid position. Traditionally, it is sown in a tray on a thin layer of soil, or on some moist blotting paper, and the tray is placed in a warm dark place for a few days to encourage rapid and rather etiolated growth. The seedlings can then be placed in a lighter position for a couple more days to turn green before being eaten. The cress seed should be sown about 3 - 4 days before the mustard for them both to be ready at the same time[].