One of the Earliest Spring Greens to Forage: Learn to ID Spring Cress aka Cardamine Hirsuta

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One of the Earliest Spring Greens to Forage: Learn to ID Spring Cress aka Cardamine Hirsuta

One of the earliest greens to gather is Spring Cress. This tasty wild food is also called Hairy Bittercress. But note: it is hardly hairy* or bitter. It has an earthy, green flavor with hints of arugula, watercress, cabbage, and mustard (all close relatives).

Eat: Consume any above ground part that is tender. Eat raw or cooked (but cook only briefly). Great in salad, soups, sauces such as green goddess dressings and pesto, etc.

Nutrients: There is not much data on this species, but like its relatives, it most likely contains plenty of vitamin C, beta carotene, calcium, magnesium, and so. It is a bit of a digestive stimulant and can encourage pooping (aperient).

Range: Scientifically called Cardamine hirsuta of the Brassicaceae family, a native of Eurasia, and now a widespread cosmopolitan weed (“invasive” in some areas). In the USA it grows throughout hardiness zones 4–8, minus some of the midwestern states.
Distribution Maps:
https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=CAHI3
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:280380-1

Look for it in anthropogenic sites: gardens, fields, meadows, where humans interact with the soil. It thrives in moist rich soil, in full sun to part shade.

Names: Cardamine hirsuta (scientific name) has many commons names: Wild Cress, Land Cress, Hairy Bitter Cress, Spring Cress. To be sure you are with the correct plant, best to refer to it by its scientific name.

Identification
This is a small plant whose leaves are mostly in a basal rosette.
It grows to 8 inches wide.
Leaves are compound, pinnately arranged, with a terminal leaflet.
*Basal leaves have stalks (petioles) with a touch of hair, (may need to magnify to see). This is the “hairy” in its name.
May have a few aerial leaves that alternate up the flower stalk.
Flower is white and has 4 petals arranged in the shape of a cross or an X (typical of the Brassicaceae family).
Seeds form inside elongated seed pods called siliques that grow upright and parallel to the flower stalk. When ripe, the seeds shoot out (fun to see or feel).
It has shallow stringy roots.

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