Practical
Plants

Lepidium intermedium

an annual or biennial member of the Lepidium genus in the family Brassicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual, biennial
Height
0.3 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young leaves - raw or cooked. A hot cress-like flavour. Seed - dried and ground into a powder which can be used as a mush or mixed with cereal flours to make bread[2]. The seed can also be used as a flavouring[1][2].

Product or use
Condiment
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed

Environment

Range
Western N. America.
Habitat
Dry open soil, roadsides and waste places[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

We have almost no information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most parts of the country. This species is almost certainly a synonym for L. virginianum[4]. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in most soils.

References

  1. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  2. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

    ↩1↩2

  3. Livingstone. B. Flora of Canada National Museums of Canada 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-660-00025-3

    ↩

  4. Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955-00-00

    ↩

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