Bittercress Wild Springtime Food

Bittercress (Cardamine pensylvanica) is a weed that grows from a few inches tall up to two feet tall. It is native to most of Canada and North America. The leaves are smooth, hairless and each leaf is divided into several roundish shaped leaflets. Each leaflet has either one or two lobes except for the last leaflet which has three lobes.

The very small flowers each have four white petals. Blossoming occurs from April to October.

The food value is the leaves and tender stems. Eat them like a salad. Taste will be best when the plant is young and actively growing. So mostly a springtime edible.