How to Identify Watercress

Watercress thrives predominantly in areas that experience cool winters with minimal frost. Prolonged freezes or extreme summer heat kill this perennial plant. This water plant grows wild in streams and small rivers, sometimes becoming invasive and overtaking the waterway. Although it's harvested as a wild food, there are other types of cress that look similar but don't have the same flavor as watercress. Proper identification ensures the plant you are harvesting is Nasturtium officinale, or true watercress.

Instructions

- 1
  Look around the edges of waterways and streams. Watercress prefers sunny areas and floats on the surface of running water. It won't grow in stagnant water.
- 2
  Identify the number of lobes present on the leaves. Look for plants with three to five lobes that have bright green foliage attached to leggy stems. Each leaf has a rounded heart shape.
- 3
  Examine the plants for flowers in the springtime. Watercress produces small four-petal white flowers with a diameter similar to that of a pencil eraser.
- 4
  Move aside the foliage and feel the stems. Watercress stems feel plump and succulent.
- 5
  Taste a small amount of a leaf after you are sure the plant is watercress. Watercress exhibits a peppery flavor.

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