- Botanical name: Nasturtium officinale
- Common name: Watercress
- Family: Brassicaceae
- Plant Type: Bog, Herb, Marginal, Perennial, Pond
White
Green
Watercress has peppery leaves, which are commonly used in salads and soups. Although more used to growing wild in flowing streams, watercress can easily be raised in a container or garden pond – as long as its feet are kept wet and the water is replenished every week, you should be able to harvest watercress all year round.
Sow seeds on moist compost in spring, and plant out young plants when all risk of frost has passed. If growing your watercress in a pot, make sure it’s sitting in a tray of water. Alternatively, grow plants in an aquatic pot and place this in the shallows of your pond.
Avoid harvesting watercress from the wild as plants may be harbouring liver flukes, which can be damaging to human health.
How to grow Nasturtium officinale
-
Plant size
30cm height
20cm spread
- Sun exposure: Dappled shade, full sun
- Hardiness: Hardy
- Soil type: Boggy
- Plant care: Needs regular watering in pots
Plant calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sow | ||||||||||||
| Sow |
J
Do not Sow in January |
F
Do not Sow in February |
M
Do Sow in March |
A
Do Sow in April |
M
Do Sow in May |
J
Do not Sow in June |
J
Do not Sow in July |
A
Do not Sow in August |
S
Do not Sow in September |
O
Do not Sow in October |
N
Do not Sow in November |
D
Do not Sow in December |
| Plant | ||||||||||||
| Plant |
J
Do not Plant in January |
F
Do not Plant in February |
M
Do not Plant in March |
A
Do not Plant in April |
M
Do Plant in May |
J
Do Plant in June |
J
Do Plant in July |
A
Do Plant in August |
S
Do Plant in September |
O
Do not Plant in October |
N
Do not Plant in November |
D
Do not Plant in December |
| Flowers | ||||||||||||
| Flowers |
J
Plant does not flower in January |
F
Plant does not flower in February |
M
Plant does not flower in March |
A
Plant does not flower in April |
M
Plant does flower in May |
J
Plant does flower in June |
J
Plant does flower in July |
A
Plant does not flower in August |
S
Plant does not flower in September |
O
Plant does not flower in October |
N
Plant does not flower in November |
D
Plant does not flower in December |
| Harvest | ||||||||||||
| Harvest |
J
Do not Harvest in January |
F
Do not Harvest in February |
M
Do not Harvest in March |
A
Do not Harvest in April |
M
Do Harvest in May |
J
Do Harvest in June |
J
Do Harvest in July |
A
Do Harvest in August |
S
Do Harvest in September |
O
Do not Harvest in October |
N
Do not Harvest in November |
D
Do not Harvest in December |
Nasturtium officinale and wildlife
Nasturtium officinale has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
Is Nasturtium officinale poisonous?
Nasturtium officinale can be toxic.
Toxic to Cats
Toxic to Dogs
No reported toxicity to Birds
No reported toxicity to Horses
No reported toxicity to Livestock
No reported toxicity to People
