# Wintercresses (*barbarea*)

Wintercresses are bright green plants that bloom with cheerful yellow flowers in the winter and early spring. They are a tasty treat for many animals and can be found in fields and gardens.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Fields, gardens, and wet areas.
- **Also known as:** Spoonwort, Yellow Cress

![Wintercresses](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Illustration_Barbaraea_vulgaris0.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illustration_Barbaraea_vulgaris0.jpg)

## Appearance

The Wintercresses has vibrant yellow, four-petaled flowers arranged in clusters at the top of its stems. Its glossy, dark green leaves are deeply lobed or toothed, often forming a basal rosette before flowering stems emerge.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Brassicales
- **Family:** Brassicaceae
- **Genus:** Barbarea

## Interesting facts

- Its leaves are packed with Vitamin C, great for keeping you healthy!
- Some species of Wintercress are also called 'Poor Man's Cabbage.'
- This plant's seeds can stay alive in the soil for many years!
- Wintercress is a member of the same family as broccoli and cabbage.

## Special abilities

- **Spicy Shield:** Wintercresses produces mustard oils that give it a peppery taste, deterring many hungry herbivores from eating its leaves.
- **Regrowth Power:** Wintercresses can quickly regrow new leaves after being picked, ensuring a continuous supply of edible greens.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-100 cm
- **Spread:** 15-40 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Early spring to mid-summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Biennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits bright yellow flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Eaten by:** Small White (*Pieris rapae*) — Caterpillars munch on its leaves, sometimes causing damage.
- **Eaten by:** Spanish Slug (*Arion vulgaris*) — Slugs may browse its tender young leaves.

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [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.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Wintercresses?

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 Wintercresses?

30-100 cm

### How wide does Wintercresses spread?

15-40 cm

### How big are the flowers on Wintercresses?

0.5-1 cm

### When does Wintercresses bloom?

Early spring to mid-summer

### Is Wintercresses edible?

Yes

### Is Wintercresses toxic?

None

### What is Wintercresses's lifecycle?

Biennial

## Where to spot

- [Yantacaw Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/yantacaw-park) — New Jersey, US · Park

## 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*)

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Source: [Wintercresses: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wintercresses)