Hairybittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) is a really unfortunate name for a wonderfully tasty edible weed that is perfect for foraging. It's a wild mustard, so its bitterness is more spicy-hot than bitter, though it's not nearly as hot as some other members of the Brassicaceae family. Hairybittercress can appear in window boxes of apparently pristine soil almost magically. The key to their success is their ability to ping their tiny seeds from their casings (seliques). Seeds can then lay dormant for many years until their moment in the sun presents itself. IsHairyBittercressEdible – Learn How To Use HairyBittercress Weeds. Benefits of HairyBittercress. Although many homeowners may view the hairbittercress a pest, the plant is edible and has other good attributes.Hairybittercress is a member of the mustard family and spreads by seeds that are dispersed as the pods burst open explosively after maturing. Ishairybittercressedible? Yes, hairy and wavy bittercress are edible weeds. The best way to use them is as an edible garnish or in salads. Bittercress has a peppery, cress-like flavour and is best eaten raw. Hairybittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) leafs out in a basal rosette, and like other members of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), its tender greens are edible. Don’t be fooled by the common name—its flavor is mild and peppery, not bitter. A perfect rosette of hairybittercress. This lovely, strong tasting little plant is available all year and is abundant in the UK. Hedgerow Type. Common Names. Lambs Cress, Land Cress, Spring Cress, Hoary Bittercress, Shot Weed, Flick Weed. Foraging Season for HairyBittercress: HairyBittercress can be foraged year-round in mild climates, but it is most commonly harvested in early spring and late fall, when the leaves are tender and flavorful before the plant flowers. Food Use of HairyBittercress All parts of the plants are edible and taste strongly of cress. However, the flower stalk can get quite woody. HairyBittercress has a lovely flavour to add to a salad and, like cress, works very well with scrambled eggs or egg mayonnaise. HairyBittercress is usually small, hairy and has a rosette of leaves at its base. The petals are small and white with four (sometimes six) stamens. The stem grows at a vertical angle with seed pods growing on the upper region of the stem, above the leaves and below the flower. Uses. Hairybittercress is a winter annual weed that germinates in the cool moist conditions of late fall. Seed pods pop and fly everywhere when lightly touched. As long as it has not set seed, you can add hairybittercress to your compost pile. If it has not come into contact with herbicides, pesticides, or your dog's bathroom habits, the leaves (not the fibrous flower stalks or seed pods) are also edible and quite nutritious. INVASIVE OF THE MONTH Hairybittercress — root it out or eat it up? From Brodhead Watershed Association. Photo cutline: Hairybittercress leaves are edible and nutritious. With a name like “hairybittercress,” you wouldn’t expect much good from this garden invader.
