Cardamine pratensis

Cardamine pratensis is a small perennial plant that can be found in wet areas of our countryside. Depending on the region, it is called Meadow Cress, False Cress, or Little Cress, due to its resemblance, both in appearance and taste, to watercress. It is an edible and aromatic plant with a peppery flavour that pairs well with roasted poultry, salads, and soups. In spring, it blooms in clusters of white to lilac flowers, along with buttercups and dandelions. It likes heavy and moist soils. It can be a decorative addition to stream edges or clear and cool woodlands.

Meadow cress belongs to the Brassicaceae family and is related to watercress, mustard, and rapeseed. It is widespread in Europe, especially in central and northern regions, Siberia, and northern America. It naturally grows in wet meadows and along streams. It thrives on clayey and damp limestone soils.

It is a very hardy perennial plant with a weakly stoloniferous rootstock. It emerges from the ground in spring and often disappears in early summer. The plant is not dead but protects itself from heat and summer drought. It forms rosettes of 3 to 7 rounded leaflets with a medium green and glossy colour, reminiscent of watercress. The simple and graceful flowering occurs in spring, from April to June depending on the region. Short floral stems covered with a few small entire leaves, measuring 30 to 40cm (12 to 16in) in height, bear loose clusters of 3 to 6 flowers with 4 petals. These flowers are about 1.5cm (1in) in diameter and have a soft pinkish-lilac colour, almost white. After pollination by insects, the flowers give way to long and slender siliques that open explosively, dispersing the small seeds in the surrounding area.

In the garden:

Cardamines are among the first plants to bloom in spring, along with narcissus, early tulips, daisies, lungworts, Omphalodes, and more. They are low-maintenance plants that thrive in any moist soil, including clay, in full sun or preferably partial shade. You can create a beautiful spring scene by planting them with Lychnis Jenny, pink astilbes, Mertensia virginica, and white or pink Physostegia virginiana.

In the kitchen:

Use meadow cress just like watercress: raw in salads, as a garnish for roasted poultry, or cooked in soups and pesto-style sauces. Its delicate flavour evokes both mustard and almond. Be cautious when collecting wild plants as they can host liver flukes, just like watercress.