Land Cress

Land Cress (Barbarea verna) is an excellent, easy-to-grow alternative to watercress, thriving in ordinary garden soil. It produces dark green, deeply lobed leaves with a distinctive peppery, pungent flavour, perfect for salads and sandwiches. This hardy biennial (H5), often grown as an annual, forms a low rosette, ultimately reaching 20cm height and 30cm spread. It can be sown from spring to autumn, providing harvests almost year-round. It prefers partial shade in summer, full sun in cooler months, and moist soil. Small yellow flowers appear if allowed to bolt. An invaluable 'cut-and-come-again' winter green.

Sun: Full sun to partial shade.

Soil: Moist, well-drained soil.

Hardiness: H5 — down to −15°C.

Flowering: Apr, May, Jun.