Where To Find Watercress In The Wild

Another very similar wild relative is hairy bittercress.
Where to find watercress in the wild. Watercress is in the brassicaceae formerly cruciferae family which makes it a mustard like its relatives kale cabbage collard greens arugula broccoli and of course mustard. All parts of the plant are edible. Watercress forms a carpet of small round leaves. Watercress is a glossy looking mostly hairless medium sized aquatic or sub aquatic.
Watercress nasturtium officinale by dave moore. This video will teach you how to recognize the good and bad kinds of watercress in the wild and use them as an effective wilderness food source. Watercress blooms through much of the growing season from spring through fall so you can often use the flowers to help identify the plant. White flowers appear above the water from march through october.
Watercress is an aquatic leafy green vegetable that grows wild in shallow waterways ponds streams and natural springs. Watercress grows in shallow running water so it is easy to find. Like most mustards watercress has a spicy peppery flavor. One always in demand item is watercress which thrives in northern alabama s many natural springs growing almost year round in some because of their consistently favorable temperatures.
Along with nettles lamb s quarters and amaranth it forms the foundation of the wild salad mixture that i ve served in restaurants for a number of years now it s relatively easy to find and identify tastes great lasts in the fridge and doesn t quickly wilt if handled. Watercress is an extremely healthy plant when consumed however it can also be deadly if you select the wrong plant. I was driving through one of our canyons and came across some wild watercress so i made this video to show everyone how to id it. It is acknowledged as one of the oldest of the wild edible green species consumed by humans and although once native to europe and asia has now naturalized to many parts of the world conducive to its growth.
Watercress is an aquatic or semi aquatic perennial herb with bright white flowers that resemble the shape of a cross. Interest in wild edibles has never been higher among the adventurous chefs who rely on pfitzer and other foragers. Warnings be careful if you harvest plants from the wild.