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Garden cress is a fast-growing, edible member of the family Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae), or the mustard family. Garden cress is botanically related to the watercress and to mustard plants, from which these cress obtain their peppery, tangy flavor and aroma.
Garden cress is a perennial, and is an important green vegetables consumed by human beings, most typically as a garnish or as a leafy vegetable. Garden cress is found to contain significant amounts of iron, calcium and folic acid, in addition to vitamins A and C. In some regions garden cress is known as garden pepper cress, pepper grass or pepperwort. The garden cress produces an orange flower suitable for decorative use and also produces fruits which, when immature, are very much like caper berries.
Garden cress in Agriculture
Agriculturally, cress are considered among the most important species of the genus Lepidium in the family of mustards. Cultivation of garden cress is practical on both mass scales and on the individual scale. Garden cress is suitable for hydroponic cultivation and thrives in water that is slightly alkaline. In many local markets the demand for hydroponically-grown cress far exceeds available supply. This is due in part to the fact that cress leaves are unsuitable for distribution in dried form, and thus can only marginally be preserved. Unmolested garden cress can grow to a height of two feet with minimal maintenance in a garden, however, the edible shoots are typically harvested just a week after germination.
Benefits of Consuming Cresses
Many benefits of eating garden cress are claimed. Garden cress is claimed to be a mild stimulant, a source of phytochemicals and antioxidants, a diuretic, an expectorant and a digestive.
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