There was a time in our history when natural herbs were all the protection we had against disease. Herbal wintercress is one of these storied plants and has centuries of reliable medicinal uses. The wild green is also an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Medicinal wintercress is so hardy it can often be harvested year-round. Learn about some wintercress remedies and its many other uses.
What is Herbal Wintercress?
Wintercress is a perennial herb native to North America. It was used extensively by indigenous groups, both as a food and as a medication. It is a low growing, 1 to 2 inch (2.5-5 cm.) tall plant that can be found in meadows and roadsides, particularly where soil is moist.
The leaves are divided with oval larger upper leaves flanked by smaller bract-like leaflets in green or bronze, depending upon the time of year. Racemes of small, golden flowers appear in spring through summer.
The plant is also called St. Barbara's plant because the seeds were sown around her feast day and existing plants have edible leaves at this time in winter.
Wintercress Medicinal Uses
Medicinal wintercress has a host of applied uses as a cure and as a preventative. Native populations used the plant to purify blood and help with coughs. The leaves were also used to treat wounds and as a digestive, diuretic, and scurvy preventative. The Greeks and Romans even used wintercress as an aphrodisiac.
In Western medicine, the plant may be used to enhance appetite, treat rheumatism, as an astringent, and to help with chronic diarrhea. Excessive use can cause kidney problems, so it is best to work with a doctor or naturopath to gauge correct dosages and duration of use.
How to Use Wintercress
The dried leaves and flowers are the common forms of wintercress remedies available today. These may be used in pill or tea form, but some traditional preparations recommend using the seed, either crushed or as an infusion. Older leaves can be bitter, so it's best to harvest young foliage.
The buds can be steamed or sautéed and have a taste similar to broccoli. Young flowering stems are also good lightly cooked. Young leaves chopped into a salad raw add a zesty, slightly spicy flavor. Even sprouted seeds are useful in salads and other recipes.
Before using the herb as a medication, check with a doctor and use leaves and buds in moderation to prevent possible kidney problems. Such issues are rare but it is best not to take chances.
Disclaimer: The content of this article is for educational and gardening purposes only. Before using or ingesting ANY herb or plant for medicinal purposes or otherwise, please consult a physician, medical herbalist, or other suitable professional for advice.
-
10 Best Apartment Plants To Turn Your Small Space Into An OasisThe best apartment plants can lend an ambience of the tropics, brighten up a space, or add a touch of drama, and turn an apartment into a relaxing oasis.
-
Grow a Bathroom Oasis: 8 Best Bathroom Plants With No Light or Low LightSome apartment dwellers grow the best bathroom plants with no light or low light. Read how one of our favorite plant lovers does it in the big city.
-
Is Wintercress A Weed – Wintercress Management Tips For GardensControlling wintercress in your garden or fields is only necessary if you consider it to be a weed and is one of the first blooms you’ll see in the spring. Click on the following article for more information on how to manage wintercress weeds.
-
Is Wintercress Edible: Wintercress Uses Straight From The GardenWintercress is a common field plant and weed to many. It is a prolific grower, and because of this, you might wonder if you can eat wintercress greens. If you’re one of those, click this article to find out if wintercress is edible.
-
Wintercress Uses: What To Do With Wintercress PlantsIf there is a wooded spot in your yard, you may find wintercress growing there. You might consider it just a weed and get rid of it early, only to find more returning. But there’s so much more to wintercress than weeds – Click here to learn about eating wintercress greens.
-
Wintercress Information: What Is A Yellow Rocket PlantWintercress, also known as yellow rocket plant, is an herbaceous biennial plant in the mustard family. What are wintercress uses? Is wintercress edible? The following wintercress information discusses growing wintercress and its uses. Learn more here.
