Garden cress
Garden cress (Lepidium sativum) is a fast-growing annual herb in the mustard family, cultivated for its peppery leaves and seeds.
Brassicaceae: The mustard family of flowering plants, including cabbage, mustard, radish, and garden cress. Garden cress belongs to this family, whose members often share pungent compounds.
Microgreen: A young edible seedling harvested after its first leaves develop, usually within a few weeks of sowing. Garden cress is commonly harvested at this early stage.
Watercress: An aquatic or semiaquatic edible plant in the mustard family, known for its peppery leaves. Its similar flavor invites comparison, but it grows in wet habitats and belongs to a different genus.
Cress egg: A small decorative craft in which cress seedlings grow over a hollowed eggshell filled with growing medium. Garden cress’s fast sprouting makes it suitable for this familiar growing project.
Lepidium: A genus of flowering plants in the mustard family, including garden cress and pepperworts. Garden cress is one species in this genus.
Seed germination: The process by which a seed resumes growth and develops into a seedling. Its rapid germination makes garden cress useful for quick crops and classroom demonstrations.
Upland cress: A peppery edible mustard-family plant, Barbarea verna, grown on land as a cress substitute. It is another terrestrial cress, but it is not Lepidium sativum.
Paper towel germination test: A simple seed-viability test that germinates seeds on a moist paper towel. Garden cress seeds can be sprouted this way without soil.
Annual plant: A plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to seed production, within one growing season. Its annual life cycle allows repeated sowings for quick harvests.
Cress salad: A salad made with cress leaves, often combined with other vegetables or herbs. Fresh garden cress leaves add a peppery note to salads.