Hi Nick It does look like rorippa nasturtium-aquatica (nasturtium officinale). Its fairly common in ditches, waterways ETC. Steve will know for certain though.
Water cress was recorded by James Bolton in the eighteenth century, especially around this area, so its as natural as you can get. Although still hang on for Steve to reply to make sure.
Yes, it looks like watercress, but as there are some extremely poisonous waterside plants, I wouldn't eat it. If you want to grow some to eat, buy a pack from the greengrocers, and stick a few stems in the muddy edge of a pond, or a basket for waterplants with heavy soil in it, half-submerged. They grow dead easy and are very hardy. It has a risk of carrying liver-fluke if sheep have access to the water and they happen to be infected. The fluke has a life-cycle alternating between some mammals and water snails.
Thanks Steve, certainly wasn't thinking of eating it but am looking to plant up a recently dug pond with native species and found this in a nearby pond.
Hi Nick
ReplyDeleteIt does look like rorippa nasturtium-aquatica (nasturtium officinale). Its fairly common in ditches, waterways ETC. Steve will know for certain though.
Thanks Bruce, is that a native British species? thinking of including it in a pond designed for Newts etc
ReplyDeleteWater cress was recorded by James Bolton in the eighteenth century, especially around this area, so its as natural as you can get. Although still hang on for Steve to reply to make sure.
ReplyDeleteYes, it looks like watercress, but as there are some extremely poisonous waterside plants, I wouldn't eat it. If you want to grow some to eat, buy a pack from the greengrocers, and stick a few stems in the muddy edge of a pond, or a basket for waterplants with heavy soil in it, half-submerged. They grow dead easy and are very hardy. It has a risk of carrying liver-fluke if sheep have access to the water and they happen to be infected. The fluke has a life-cycle alternating between some mammals and water snails.
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve, certainly wasn't thinking of eating it but am looking to plant up a recently dug pond with native species and found this in a nearby pond.
ReplyDelete