All plants /Aquatic /Watercress
Watercress
Nasturtium officinale, mustard family. Uncommon in Central and East Texas.
At a glance
- What
- Leaves and stems
- How
- Raw as the classic peppery salad green
- When
- Cool months
- Where
- Clean, cold, flowing spring water
- Value
- Vitamins A, C, K; iron
Caution: Harvest ONLY from clean, flowing water you know is unpolluted; cress from water near livestock or runoff can carry parasites. When in doubt, cook it. Never eat a wild plant on this guide's word alone. Confirm identity against several sources and learn the look-alikes first.
Identification
Rounded compound leaves floating and trailing in cold spring runs, with a sharp peppery bite. Grows right in the water.
In the kitchen
The original salad cress, brilliant raw. Because it grows in water, source is everything: only clean flowing springs.
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Forages well with
Forage safely. Never eat a wild plant on this site's word alone. Confirm identity with several sources, learn the look-alikes, and when in doubt, leave it in the ground.