Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Freshwater wetland
Range: Europe and Asia
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Common

About

Watercress is a fast-growing aquatic plant in the mustard family that thrives in cool, clear streams and springs. One of the oldest known leaf vegetables eaten by humans, its small round leaves pack a distinctly peppery punch from natural glucosinolate compounds.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Nasturtium
Species: Nasturtium officinale