Practical
Plants

Rorippa amphibia

Great Yellow Cress

a perennial member of the Rorippa genus in the family Brassicaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Rorippa
Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.2 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Flies, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Flies, Self

Uses

Edible uses

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

Young leaves and stems - raw or cooked[4][1][3]. A hot cress-like flavour, they go well as a flavouring in salads[K].

Plant part
Leaves

Environment

Range
Most of Europe, including Britain, to N. Africa and Siberia.
Habitat
By ponds, ditches and streams, often in water, in acid or calcareous conditions[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
aquatic
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral, alkaline, very 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. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer. Make sure the pots are not allowed to dry out. Division in spring. Very easy, but protect the young divisions from slugs. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings succeed at almost any time in the growing season. Very easy, even a floating leaf will form adventitious roots[6].

Cultivation

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

Prefers a fertile soil[5]. Tolerates fairly low light levels[5]. Plants grow in boggy soils or in shallow water, the submerged forms have finely divided bright green leaves[5]. Plants seem to be extremely attractive to slugs. They can eat out all the new growth in spring and kill even large plants[K].

References

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

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  2. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

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  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  4. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Muhlberg. H. Complete Guide to Water Plants. E. P. Publishing Ltd. 1982-00-00 ISBN 0-7158-0789-7

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