Field Cress (Lepidium campestre) is an annual or biennial herb in the Brassicaceae valued as a wild edible green with a pleasantly sharp, peppery-cress flavor. Its young leaves and stems are gathered from fields and meadows across Europe and Asia, adding a lively bite to salads and cooked dishes.
• The genus name Lepidium derives from the Greek "lepidion," a diminutive of "lepis" (scale), referring to the small, scale-like flattened seed pods
• The species epithet "campestre" means "of the field" or "of open country"
• Closely related to garden cress (Lepidium sativum) but with a milder flavor
• A common but often overlooked member of the cress family growing in agricultural landscapes
• Young plants are at their best before flowering when the leaves are tender and peppery
Taxonomie
Règne
Plantae
Embranchement
Tracheophyta
Classe
Magnoliopsida
Ordre
Brassicales
Famille
Brassicaceae
Genre
Lepidium
Species
Lepidium campestre
Native to Europe and western Asia, Lepidium campestre has spread to temperate regions worldwide.
• Found across all of Europe, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean
• Extends eastward through Russia and Central Asia to Siberia and western China
• Introduced to North America where it is widely naturalized
• Has been foraged as a wild food plant in European rural traditions for centuries
• The genus Lepidium includes approximately 175 species distributed worldwide, with several important cultivated and weedy species
• Found across all of Europe, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean
• Extends eastward through Russia and Central Asia to Siberia and western China
• Introduced to North America where it is widely naturalized
• Has been foraged as a wild food plant in European rural traditions for centuries
• The genus Lepidium includes approximately 175 species distributed worldwide, with several important cultivated and weedy species
Lepidium campestre is an erect, branching annual or biennial herb.
Stems:
• Erect, typically 20 to 60 cm tall
• Densely covered with small, flattened, appressed hairs giving a grayish-green appearance
• Branching from the base or mid-stem
Leaves:
• Basal leaves form a rosette, oblong to lanceolate, 3 to 10 cm long, with wavy or toothed margins
• Stem leaves smaller, ovate to cordate, sessile and clasping the stem with arrow-shaped lobes
• Gray-green, pubescent, slightly fleshy
• Peppery taste when chewed
Flowers:
• Very small, white, four-petaled, approximately 2 to 3 mm across
• Borne in dense racemes that elongate in fruit
• Blooms late spring through summer
Fruits:
• Small, flattened, oval to elliptical silicles, 5 to 7 mm long
• Winged margins, notched at the tip
• Each contains two small reddish-brown seeds
Stems:
• Erect, typically 20 to 60 cm tall
• Densely covered with small, flattened, appressed hairs giving a grayish-green appearance
• Branching from the base or mid-stem
Leaves:
• Basal leaves form a rosette, oblong to lanceolate, 3 to 10 cm long, with wavy or toothed margins
• Stem leaves smaller, ovate to cordate, sessile and clasping the stem with arrow-shaped lobes
• Gray-green, pubescent, slightly fleshy
• Peppery taste when chewed
Flowers:
• Very small, white, four-petaled, approximately 2 to 3 mm across
• Borne in dense racemes that elongate in fruit
• Blooms late spring through summer
Fruits:
• Small, flattened, oval to elliptical silicles, 5 to 7 mm long
• Winged margins, notched at the tip
• Each contains two small reddish-brown seeds
Lepidium campestre is a biennial brassica weed that serves as an underappreciated wild edible in temperate agricultural landscapes.
Habitat:
• Native to Europe and western Asia, now spread to temperate regions worldwide
• Found across all of Europe from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, extending east through Russia and Central Asia to Siberia and western China
• Introduced to North America where it is widely naturalized in agricultural regions
• Grows in fields, meadows, roadsides, waste ground, and along field margins
• Found at elevations from sea level to approximately 2,000 meters
• Prefers well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soils in open, sunny locations
• USDA zones 3–9 (temperate, cold-hardy)
Growth Habit:
• Erect, branching annual or biennial herb growing 20 to 60 cm tall
• Densely covered with small, flattened, appressed hairs giving a grayish-green appearance
• Forms a basal rosette in the first year (or over winter), then bolts to produce flowering stems
• Full sun species of open fields and disturbed ground
• Completes its life cycle in 60 to 120 days depending on conditions
Pollination:
• Very small white flowers (2 to 3 mm) are primarily self-pollinating
• Also visited by tiny flies and small bees
• Produces abundant seed in small, flattened, winged pods typical of Lepidium
• Seeds are dispersed by wind, water, and by adhering to animal fur and human clothing
Ecological Role:
• Part of the diverse agricultural weed community that supports pollinator populations in temperate farmland
• Appressed hairs give the plant a gray-green appearance that may reduce water loss in exposed, open habitats
• Seeds are consumed by granivorous birds including larks, finches, and buntings in European farmland
• The peppery flavor of the leaves comes from glucosinolate compounds that deter many generalist herbivores
• Related to garden cress (Lepidium sativum) and shares many of the same ecological characteristics
• Dense basal rosettes provide ground cover that reduces soil erosion on bare agricultural land during winter
Invasive Status:
• Common agricultural weed but not listed as noxious in most countries
• Controlled by standard agricultural practices including cultivation and herbicides
• Populations are declining in intensively farmed European landscapes due to herbicide use
Habitat:
• Native to Europe and western Asia, now spread to temperate regions worldwide
• Found across all of Europe from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, extending east through Russia and Central Asia to Siberia and western China
• Introduced to North America where it is widely naturalized in agricultural regions
• Grows in fields, meadows, roadsides, waste ground, and along field margins
• Found at elevations from sea level to approximately 2,000 meters
• Prefers well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soils in open, sunny locations
• USDA zones 3–9 (temperate, cold-hardy)
Growth Habit:
• Erect, branching annual or biennial herb growing 20 to 60 cm tall
• Densely covered with small, flattened, appressed hairs giving a grayish-green appearance
• Forms a basal rosette in the first year (or over winter), then bolts to produce flowering stems
• Full sun species of open fields and disturbed ground
• Completes its life cycle in 60 to 120 days depending on conditions
Pollination:
• Very small white flowers (2 to 3 mm) are primarily self-pollinating
• Also visited by tiny flies and small bees
• Produces abundant seed in small, flattened, winged pods typical of Lepidium
• Seeds are dispersed by wind, water, and by adhering to animal fur and human clothing
Ecological Role:
• Part of the diverse agricultural weed community that supports pollinator populations in temperate farmland
• Appressed hairs give the plant a gray-green appearance that may reduce water loss in exposed, open habitats
• Seeds are consumed by granivorous birds including larks, finches, and buntings in European farmland
• The peppery flavor of the leaves comes from glucosinolate compounds that deter many generalist herbivores
• Related to garden cress (Lepidium sativum) and shares many of the same ecological characteristics
• Dense basal rosettes provide ground cover that reduces soil erosion on bare agricultural land during winter
Invasive Status:
• Common agricultural weed but not listed as noxious in most countries
• Controlled by standard agricultural practices including cultivation and herbicides
• Populations are declining in intensively farmed European landscapes due to herbicide use
A good wild source of essential nutrients.
• Contains vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin K
• Provides iron, calcium, and potassium
• Rich in glucosinolates, which contribute to the peppery flavor
• Contains dietary fiber
• Low calorie, high nutrient density typical of wild Brassicaceae greens
• Contains vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin K
• Provides iron, calcium, and potassium
• Rich in glucosinolates, which contribute to the peppery flavor
• Contains dietary fiber
• Low calorie, high nutrient density typical of wild Brassicaceae greens
Rarely cultivated deliberately — typically foraged from wild populations.
• Can be grown from seed sown in spring or autumn on well-drained soil
• Prefers full sun and neutral to slightly alkaline soil
• Tolerates poor, dry soils better than most cress species
• Cold-hardy and drought-tolerant once established
• Harvest young rosette leaves before flowering for optimal tenderness
• Self-seeds readily in suitable habitats
• Can be grown from seed sown in spring or autumn on well-drained soil
• Prefers full sun and neutral to slightly alkaline soil
• Tolerates poor, dry soils better than most cress species
• Cold-hardy and drought-tolerant once established
• Harvest young rosette leaves before flowering for optimal tenderness
• Self-seeds readily in suitable habitats
Culinary uses:
• Young leaves eaten raw in salads for a mild peppery-cress flavor
• Added to sandwiches and garnishes
• Cooked as a potherb in soups and stews
• Used as a flavoring herb similar to watercress
• Can be blended into herb butters and cream cheese spreads
• Young stems are also edible when tender
• Young leaves eaten raw in salads for a mild peppery-cress flavor
• Added to sandwiches and garnishes
• Cooked as a potherb in soups and stews
• Used as a flavoring herb similar to watercress
• Can be blended into herb butters and cream cheese spreads
• Young stems are also edible when tender
Anecdote
Despite its humble appearance, Field Cress is being studied by agricultural scientists as a potential new oilseed crop — its seeds contain high-quality oil that could rival canola in both culinary and industrial applications.
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