# field penny-cress (*Thlaspi arvense*) Field penny-cress is a small plant with round, flat seed pods. It grows in fields and gardens, and its pretty white flowers attract bees and butterflies. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 18 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![field penny-cress](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Thlaspi_arvense1_eF.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thlaspi_arvense1_eF.jpg) ## Appearance The field penny-cress has small white four-petaled flowers clustered at the stem's top. Its most distinctive feature is the flat, circular, winged seed pods, resembling tiny green or reddish-brown coins. The leaves are toothed, clasping the stem, giving it a somewhat bushy appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Brassicales - **Family:** Brassicaceae - **Genus:** Thlaspi ## Interesting facts - Early settlers used its peppery leaves to spice up their food and salads! - Even though it looks wild, penny-cress is a cousin to your broccoli, kale, and cabbage! - Scientists are studying penny-cress seeds to make sustainable jet fuel and biodiesel for vehicles! - The plant got its 'penny-cress' name because its flat seed pods look like old silver pennies! ## Special abilities - **Cold Start:** Its seeds can sprout and grow in chilly weather, giving it a head start over other plants in early spring. - **Soil Cleaner:** This plant can soak up heavy metals from the soil, acting like a natural cleaner for contaminated land. - **Seed Hoarder:** Field penny-cress can produce thousands of seeds that remain viable in the soil for many years. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-60 cm - **Spread:** 10-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Diamondback Moth (*Plutella xylostella*) — Larvae feed on its leaves. - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Visits its flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Eaten by:** [House Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — Feeds on its abundant seeds. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [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. - [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock. - [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. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify field penny-cress? 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 field penny-cress? 10-60 cm ### How wide does field penny-cress spread? 10-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on field penny-cress? 0.2-0.4 cm ### When does field penny-cress bloom? Spring to fall ### Is field penny-cress edible? Yes ### Is field penny-cress toxic? None ### What is field penny-cress's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Bellefontaine Cemetery](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellefontaine-cemetery) — Missouri, US · Botanical Garden - [Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/midewin-national-tallgrass-prairie) — Illinois, US · Forest - [Mormon Row Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mormon-row-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [Murie Ranch Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/murie-ranch-historic-district) — Wyoming, US · Historic District - [Bascom Hill](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bascom-hill) — Wisconsin, US · Historic District - [Betty Ford Alpine Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/betty-ford-alpine-gardens) — Colorado, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see field penny-cress](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/field-penny-cress) ## 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: [Field Penny-cress: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-penny-cress)