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mushrooms foraging guide Winter Cress (Barbarea Vulgaris)

Winter Cress (Barbarea Vulgaris) 778 Winter Cress (Barbarea Vulgaris) 777

Edibility

Edibility:Edible

Eating notes: This can be eaten raw as a winter salad leaf or as a cooked green. It has a strong peppery flavour with just a hint of bitterness.

Season

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
            

Frequency

Common

Description

Low rosette of winter leaves giving rise to a flower spike in early summer. Closely related to American Land Cress sold as seeds for home growers.

Height: 40-80cm 

Leaves: Leaves are deeply lobed in pairs along the stem with a larger single leaflet at the tip. Hairless and shiny.

Flowers: Multiple flower stalks, each with aseries of small five petalled yellow flowers.

Look-alikes: The classic cress leaf shape should make this difficult to mistake for anything poisonous.