Photo by Jim Jung. All rights reserved.

Watercress

If you should discover a spring branch while out hiking that is covered with low, bright green plants you've probably stumbled on a population of Water Cress, one of our tastiest wild plants.

Watercress is a European introduction and not native to our continent. It was purposely planted by pioneer settlers as a source of winter greens crucial to human health in the days before regular deliveries of fresh produce. There are accounts of early doctors including the seeds of this plant in their medical kit which they planted in suitable locations for the use of their patients to stave off scurvy and other vitamin deficient diseases caused by a lack of green winter vegetables.

Watercress is a member of the Mustard family and like all members of this plant group contains chemical compounds which give it a hot, spicy flavor. Watercress is also extremely rich in vitamins - principally A, C and E - as well as iron, manganese, phosphorus, iodine, copper and calcium.

Medicinally Watercress had a multitude of uses for the early settlers. It was used to treat coughs, indigestion, gout, arthritis and goiter. The juice of the plant was reputed to remove freckles when applied to the face. Current herbal practitioners claim it dissolves kidney stones, regulates and normalizes blood sugar levels and is a tonic for liver ailments.

Today it's encountered mainly in upscale restaurants on sandwiches and salads and in health-food stores.

Suggest a link! Send suggestions to Webmaster