UPLAND CRESS, Creasy Greens

Barbarea verna 

Approximately 60 seeds per pack.

Germination: ~ 97% Packed for 2023

Also called land cress, bitter cress, winter cress, and Belle Isle cress, this cabbage-family biennial (or short-lived perennial) from southern Europe and western Asia has naturalized itself around the world. Long cultivated as a vegetable, it is most well-known these days as a weed, but for many people it is a treasured heirloom. Historically, it has also been a lifeline.

Stories abound of people in life-threatening situations relying on this plant, from enslaved African people to shipwrecked sailors. As a vital source of Vitamin C and other nutrients, it has prevented scurvy for untold numbers of people through the years. The taste is similar to watercress, but it is much easier to grow (needs no water beyond that which falls from the sky). The name "creasy greens" applies most to this species when it is cooked like collard greens.

GREENS GROWING GUIDE