This week, I have seen several examples of Winter-cress growing
locally in Newtonmore. It is not common around here but is very easy to spot
when it is flowering as it has bright yellow flowers, with four petals arranged
in a cross (it’s a crucifer).
Winter-cress (Barbarea
vulgaris) is growing up Glen Banchor in the quarry/car parking space just
past the second cattle grid. I only
noticed it last year but there is a big clump which is unmissable as it is the
only plant growing in the sandy bank.
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| Winter-cress in Glen Banchor |
It is there again this year and a few
more plants have seeded around it.
Another place it is growing is the corner where Station Road meets the track to the
Jack Richmond Park.
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| Winter-cress |
It has shiny green leaves. The upper ones on the stem are fairly simple with a few lobes.
The second sort is Medium-flowered Winter-cress (Barbarea intermedia) which is on
the Wildcat Trail which goes alongside the Kingussie Road (B970). This one is generally smaller than
Winter-cress.
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| Medium-flowered Winter-cress |
One way of telling them apart is by looking at the leaves up
the stem, their shape and how they clasp the stem. Medium-flowered Wintercress
has leaves up the stem which are more deeply cut into lobes and where it meets
the stem there are two projections sticking out past the stem.
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| Medium-flowered Winter-cress auricles |
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| Winter-cress auricles |
I also have a third variety
in the garden called American
Winter-cress (Barbarea verna). It is like a very large version of Medium-flowered
Winter-cress.
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| American Winter-cress |
The stem leaves have the same kind of sticky-out auricles as Medium-flowered Wintercress.
The seed was sold as
an alternative to water-cress which will grow in drier conditions. I won’t need to buy it again as it self seeds
around the garden. It is not as productive of foliage as water cress would be
and has a peppery taste.
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