Friday Foraging #78 - 14th Feb 2025

Friday Foraging.

Bittercress - Hairy (Cardamine hirsuta)

This lovely, strong tasting plant is around all year long and is abundant in the UK. It literally grows Jan-Dec and its easy to find because it likes the gaps in your paving slabs, growing next to garden walls, turned over earth on allotments and also waste land, and little nooks and crannies along path edges.

The leaves are small, green and have rounded growing in opposite pairs along the leaf stem with one single, usually larger, finishing or terminal leaf at the end of the stem. During its flowering season it has a little white flower that hovers above, but we only use the leaves, not the stalks or flowers.

It looks very similar to shepherds purse, but as they have mainly the same components and health benefits, it doesn't really matter if you pick the wrong one in this instance. It can also me mistaken for common chickweed, but again, this wouldn't really matter, as it is another great little plant for health and eating.

The plant grow to no more than 30cm tall and forms in round clumps. It has a 12 week life cycle, so in undisturbed patches it will just keep growing and growing.