ROMAN DELICACY

...but canal watercress harbours nasties

Nasturtium is Latin for “nose-twister” – a reference to the peppery pungent properties of common Watercress, Nasturtium officinale. Watercress is a member of the cabbage family and, rich in vitamin C and minerals, has been cultivated since Roman times.

You can find this sprawling perennial growing both in and alongside canals, ponds and ditches and besides clear, shallow streams. The creeping or floating stems are hollow and the evergreen foliage is made up of glossy pinnate leaves with rounded leaflets. Small pure white flowers with four petals and cream anthers are produced at the tips from late April through to October.