Barbarea


Barbarea is a genus of about 22 species of flowering plants in the family Brassicaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in southern Europe and southwest Asia. They are small herbaceous biennial or perennial plants with dark green, deeply lobed leaves and yellow flowers with four petals.

Selected species

They grow quickly into dandelion-like rosettes of edible, cress-like foliage. Barbarea verna, also known as upland cress, early winter cress, American cress, Belle Isle cress and scurvy grass, is used in salads or to add a nippy taste to mixed greens for cooking.

Chemical compounds

Winter cress contains different glucosinolates, flavonoids and saponins.