Cress
Lepidium sativum
A fast-growing annual of the cabbage family, grown almost entirely for its seedlings: a pair of rounded seed leaves on a white stalk, cut a week or two after sowing. Left to run on it reaches around 40cm, with finely divided upper leaves, small white four-petalled flowers and flat, oval pods notched at the tip. The flavour is sharply peppery when young and coarsens as the plant ages.
Not a native plant. It is grown on windowsills, in seed trays and in garden rows, and appears outdoors only as a short-lived casual on waste ground, allotment edges, tips and disturbed soil where seed has been spilled. It is not established anywhere in Britain or Ireland.
Safe raw for most people. The mustard oils that give it its heat can irritate the stomach if a large quantity is eaten at once. Seed sprouted on damp matting spoils readily, so rinse it well and discard any batch that smells sour. Some sources advise avoiding medicinal quantities of the seed during pregnancy.
Always use more than one reference to confirm a plant. You are responsible for what you choose to forage.
Seedling stage
Almost always harvested here: a dense mat of thin white stalks each carrying two rounded, notched seed leaves, 3-5cm tall. The first true leaf is toothed and appears only after the usual cutting point.
Leaves on a mature plant
Lower leaves are lobed or pinnately divided on a clear stalk; leaves further up the stem become narrow, entire and nearly stalkless. Grey-green rather than glossy.
Flowers
Small white to faintly pinkish flowers with four petals in a cross, carried in a raceme that lengthens as the lower flowers set pod. Individually only 2-3mm across.
Seed pods
Flat, oval, roughly 5-6mm long and slightly winged, with a shallow notch at the tip and one seed per chamber. Rounded rather than the triangular, heart-shaped pod of shepherd's purse.
Taste and smell
Crushed leaves release a mustard smell and the raw seedling is hot on the tongue within a second or two. No heat at all means the plant is either not cress or has been left far past its useful stage.
Updated 2026-08-07T21:15:25.770Z · Part of the shared Foragers Log catalogue · Herb