Nasturtium microphyllum - Watercress

Family:	Cruciferae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.5
Width:	1
Synonyms:
Range:	Europe, including Britain, to W. Asia.

Nasturtium microphyllum (Watercress) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.5m and a width of 1m . It has a hardness rating of 6and is vunerable to frost.
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Bees, flies, self

Soil Information

Watercress will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Watercress prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Watercress should not be planted in shady areas.

Stream margins, ditches, flushes etc with moving water[17, 27], usually in chalk or limestone areas[52].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Is a pond plant
• A bog garden plant

Cultivation Details

Watercress is easily grown when given the correct conditions of slowly flowing clean water, preferably coming from chalky or limestone soils[264]. It prefers to grow in water about 5cm deep[37] with an optimum pH 7.2[200]. Plants can be grown in wet soil if the position is somewhat shaded and protection is given in winter, though the flavour may be hotter[27, 37]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c[200], they tolerate somewhat lower temperatures than the closely related N. officinale[200]. Watercress is often cultivated for its edible leaves, there are some named varieties[16, 183]. The plant is very sensitive to pollution so a clean source of water is required[200]. Plants will often continue to grow all through mild winters. A fast-growing plant, the stems trail along the ground or float in water and produce new roots at the leaf nodes, thus making the plant very easy to propagate vegetatively[238]. Unfortunately, virus diseases have become more common in cultivated plants and so most propagation is carried out by seed[264]. This is a triploid species. It has hybridised naturally in the wild with the diploid species N. officinale to produce the sterile hybrid N. x sterilis which is also commonly cultivated as a salad crop[264]. The flowers are a rich source of pollen and so are very attractive to bees[7].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 3/5
Leaves - raw or cooked[2, 5, 7, 9, 16, 27]. Exceptionally rich in vitamins and minerals, especially iron[200]. The leaves are mainly used as a garnish or as an addition to salads, the flavour is strong with a characteristic hotness[183]. The seed can be sprouted and eaten in salads[183]. A hot flavour. The seed is ground into a powder and used as a mustard[46, 183]. The pungency of mustard develops when cold water is added to the ground-up seed - an enzyme (myrosin) acts on a glycoside (sinigrin) to produce a sulphur compound. The reaction takes 10 - 15 minutes. Mixing with hot water or vinegar, or adding salt, inhibits the enzyme and produces a mild but bitter mustard[238].

• Condiment - the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
• Leaves -
• Seed - includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
Antiscorbutic, diuretic, expectorant, purgative, stimulant, stomachic[4, 9, 21, 46]. Use with caution[21].

• Antiscorbutic - A plant rich in vitamin C that is used to counteract scurvy.
• Diuretic - Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
• Expectorant - Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
• Purgative - A drastic laxative causing a cleansing or watery evacuation of the bowels, usually with a griping pain.
• Stimulant - Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.
• Stomachic - Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a pot emmersed to half its depth in water. Germination should take place within a couple of weeks. Prick out seedlings into individual pots whilst they are still small and increase the depth of water gradually until they are submerged. Plant out into a pond in the summer. Cuttings can be taken at any time in the growing season. Virtually any part of the plant, including a single leaf, will form roots if detached from the parent plant[56]. Just put it in a container of water until the roots are well formed and then plant out in shallow water.

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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