# bitter wintercress (*Barbarea vulgaris*) Bitter wintercress is a green plant that grows in cool weather. It has bright yellow flowers and can often be found in fields and gardens during springtime. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![bitter wintercress](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Barbarea_vulgaris_-_Habit.jpg&width=800) Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Barbarea_vulgaris_-_Habit.jpg) ## Appearance The bitter wintercress has clusters of tiny, bright yellow flowers with four petals, blooming on upright, ridged stems. Its dark green, glossy leaves form a rosette at the base, while upper leaves are smaller and more streamlined. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Brassicales - **Family:** Brassicaceae - **Genus:** Barbarea ## Interesting facts - Bitter wintercress helps provide early food for bees when other flowers haven't bloomed yet. - It's a wild cousin to popular veggies like cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts! - Its leaves taste less bitter after a frost, making them more enjoyable to eat! - This resilient plant can sprout from tiny seeds even if they've been buried for years! ## Special abilities - **Frost Fighter:** Bitter wintercress can grow even in chilly weather, thanks to special compounds that protect its cells from frost. - **Bug Blocker:** This plant has a natural defense system, producing bitter chemicals that deter many hungry insect pests. - **Speedy Sprouter:** Bitter wintercress quickly establishes itself in new areas, using numerous seeds to spread widely and fast. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-90 cm - **Spread:** 15-45 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Biennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — an important early spring pollinator. - **Eaten by:** Small White butterfly (*Pieris rapae*) — Its caterpillars feed on the leaves. - **Eaten by:** Diamondback moth (*Plutella xylostella*) — Larvae can be a pest of the leaves. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Cold Hardy](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cold-hardy): Cold hardy plants are able to withstand low temperatures and freezing conditions without significant damage. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always check with an adult before touching or eating any plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify bitter wintercress? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is bitter wintercress? 30-90 cm ### How wide does bitter wintercress spread? 15-45 cm ### How big are the flowers on bitter wintercress? 0.5-1 cm ### When does bitter wintercress bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is bitter wintercress edible? Yes ### Is bitter wintercress toxic? None ### What is bitter wintercress's lifecycle? Biennial ## Where to spot - [Bald Eagle State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bald-eagle-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest - [Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/midewin-national-tallgrass-prairie) — Illinois, US · Forest - [Bellport Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellport-village-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Blue Hill Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blue-hill-historic-district) — Maine, US · Historic District - [Mohegan State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mohegan-state-forest) — Connecticut, US · Forest - [Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wonders-of-wildlife-museum-and-aquarium) — Missouri, US · Zoo [View all places to see bitter wintercress](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/bitter-wintercress) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Bitter Wintercress: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bitter-wintercress)