Honey bees
Nectar value
Low
Pollen value
Low
Pollinator plant
Cress
Lepidium sativum
Linked agroforestry plant data
Pollinator recipe
Bee value
Who this plant supports
Agroforestry database
Complete plant information
Structure
- Vegetation layer
- Herbaceous
- Size
- Small
- Dimensions
- 0.50 m high × 0.00 m wide
- Lifecycle
- Annual
Site conditions
- USDA hardiness
- 6-9
- Moisture
- Moist
- Soil
- Sandy, Loamy, Clay
- pH
- Acid, Neutral, Alkaline
- Light
- Sun, Partial shade
Uses
- Edible parts
- Leaves, Oil, Seasoning
- Functions
- Oil
- Edibility
- 3 out of 5
- Medicinal value
- 0 out of 5
Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. They have a spicy flavor, similar to watercress, and are a great addition to salads in small quantities. The roots of this plant are used as a spice and have a sharp taste, but they are quite small and have a woody texture. Fresh or dried seed pods can serve as a sharp flavoring. The seeds can be sprouted by giving them little light until the shoots are a few centimeters long, after which they can be added to salads. The sprouting process takes about 7 days, and the shoots have a pleasantly spicy flavor. Edible oil can be obtained from the seeds.