Status
Conservation status
Not protected
Native status
Native
Species Biology
Habitat
Ditches and streams
Life cycle
Perennial
Ex-situ conservation
Living collection in the National Botanic Garden.
Use
Food crop
Vegetative nature
Herbaceous
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
Temporal change
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2023
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Further information
Grows abundantly in and by running water. Now reduced to a garnish, watercress was once a well-respected vegetable. It was under small-scale cultivation by the mid 18th century and quickly became a commercial product. Most of the watercress consumed today is grown commercially; but the cultivated plants are identical in every respect to those that grow wild. The older, sturdier leaves are tastier.