Plant Details

Nasturtium officinale

Watercress

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Common names

57 names · 38 languages
EnglishYour language
  • [Common] Water-cress[1]
  • Kowhitiwhiti[2]
  • Stercors[2]
+2 more namesShow fewer names
  • Water Cress[2]
  • Watercress[2]
Other languages (37)
Dutch
  • Witte waterkers[2]
French
  • Cresson de fontaine[2]
Afrikaans
+3 more namesShow fewer names
  • bronkorstslaai[2]
  • bronkosslaai[2]
  • stercors[2]
Arabic
  • جرجير الماء[2]
  • قرة العين[2]
  • قرة عين[2]
Asturian
Catalan
Cherokee
  • ᎠᎼ ᎤᎵᏏ[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Czech
  • potočnice lékařská[2]
Danish
  • Tykskulpet brøndkarse[2]
Estonian
  • ürt-allikkerss[2]
Finnish
  • isovesikrassi[2]
German
Hawaiian
Hebrew
  • גרגר הנחלים[2]
Hungarian
  • vízitorma[2]
Italian
  • Crescione d'acqua[2]
Japanese
  • オランダガラシ[2]
  • クレソン[2]
  • 阿蘭陀芥子[2]
Korean
Kweyol
Lithuanian
  • Paprastasis rėžiukas[2]
Nahuatl
  • berroquilit[2]
Norwegian
  • engelskkarse[2]
Otomi
Polish
  • rukiew wodna[2]
Portuguese
Raramuri
  • huanéburi[2]
Russian
  • Жеруха лекарственная[2]
  • Жеруха обыкновенная[2]
Slovak
  • potočnica lekárska[2]
Slovenian
  • navadna vodna kreša[2]
Sotho
Spanish
Swedish
  • källfräne[2]
Turkish
Ukrainian
  • Настурція лікарська[2]
Welsh
  • berwr y dŵr[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Nasturtium officinale W.T.Aiton ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Echte Brunnenkresse (DE); [Common] Water-cress (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 146530; taxon 6S5ZD.
[2] Nasturtium officinale — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • berro blanco — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • watercress — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • canidejé — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • huanéburi — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • berroquilit — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Kowhitiwhiti — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • 西洋菜 — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Echte Brunnenkresse — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Crescione d'acqua — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • גרגר הנחלים — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Cresson de fontaine — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Agrião — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Lēkō — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • potočnice lékařská — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • 水芥菜 — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Tykskulpet brøndkarse — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • オランダガラシ — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • クレソン — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • engelskkarse — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • isovesikrassi — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Paprastasis rėžiukas — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • berriu — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Жеруха обыкновенная — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • ürt-allikkerss — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • kouso — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Créixem — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • 豆瓣菜 — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Witte waterkers — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • suteresi — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • قرة عين — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • källfräne — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • 물냉이 — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • navadna vodna kreša — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Bronkors — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • brongras — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • bronkhorstslaai — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • bronkorstslaai — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • bronkosslaai — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • stercors — results[0].names[40]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Stercors — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Water Cress — results[0].names[42]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • kerese — results[0].names[43]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Настурція лікарська — results[0].names[44]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • rukiew wodna — results[0].names[45]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • جرجير الماء — results[0].names[46]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • قرة العين — results[0].names[47]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • vízitorma — results[0].names[48]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • ᎠᎼ ᎤᎵᏏ — results[0].names[49]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • berro — results[0].names[50]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • 水芥 — results[0].names[51]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • 西洋菜 — results[0].names[52]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • 阿蘭陀芥子 — results[0].names[53]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Creixen — results[0].names[54]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • berwr y dŵr — results[0].names[55]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • potočnica lekárska — results[0].names[56]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.
  • Жеруха лекарственная — results[0].names[57]; taxon id 78174; Nasturtium officinale.

General information

Scientific name: Nasturtium officinale
Accepted name (Kew): Nasturtium officinale W.T.Aiton View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Brassicaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Nasturtium (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Watercress
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Aquatic
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.50 m
Spread: 1.00 m
Growth rate: Slow
Foliage: None

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 3-11
Soil moisture:
Wet
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Condiment, Seed
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(3)
Functions:
Bee forage

Description

The leaves of white watercress are often cooked and used as a garnish in salads due to their strong and spicy flavor. This watercress is also added to tonics. The leaves can be harvested almost year-round and are very nutritious, particularly rich in vitamins and minerals, such as iron. The sprouted seeds of watercress can be eaten in salads because of their mustard-like flavor. The seeds are often ground into powder and used to make mustard. When foraging for watercress in the wild, it is important to be cautious, especially if the plant grows near water and there are grazing animals in the vicinity, such as sheep. There is a risk that the plant may contain parasites in that case. To be safe, the leaves should be cooked before consumption.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/05
Harvest ends: 30/09

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 94703; name ID 2380030; Nasturtium W.T.Aiton. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 95677; name ID 2381026; Nasturtium officinale W.T.Aiton.

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Nasturtium officinale

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 2341415, ID 6S5ZD: Nasturtium officinale W.T.Aiton (accepted).

    Source checked on .