Barbarea vulgaris W.T. Aiton
Winter cress, wintercress, garden yellowrocket, bittercress, herb barbara, rocketcress, yellow rocketcress, winter rocket, wound rocket
This native of Europe has become naturalized and widespread in North America after its introduction here.
Plants: Winter cress is common sight in disturbed fields, such as borders of croplands. It flowers early, producing dense clusters of bright yellow flowers. Plants reach heights of 8–32″ (20–81 cm). Stems are often branched, ribbed, and green, often tinged with purple.
Leaves: Leaves near the base of the plant are deeply lobed, with the largest portion of the leaf at the tip, up to 8″ (20 cm) long. Leaves above the base are small and inconspicuous.
Flowers: Dense clusters of bright yellow flowers appear above the foliage. Each flower is ¼–5/16″ (7–9 mm) in size, with four petals. They appear from April to July.
Fruits: Pods ½–1″ (1.5–3 cm) long.
Habitats: Found near wetlands or rivers, below 3281′ (1 km).
Edibility: Young leaves may be eaten raw in salads. Older leaves become increasingly bitter, requiring boiling in several changes of water. By the time flower buds appear, the leaves are too bitter to eat, but the buds may be boiled for five minutes in two changes of water.
Medical:
Online References:
References:
5/22/2026 · Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm) 
5/22/2026 · Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm) 
5/2/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 6″ (11 × 14 cm) 
5/9/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 3½ × 4″ (9.2 × 10 cm) 
5/5/2016 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 
5/25/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 3 × 2½″ (7.4 × 6.6 cm) 
5/25/2016 · Andres Art Institute, Big Bear M, Brookline, New Hampshire 
5/11/2013 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 3½″ (14 × 9.6 cm) 
5/5/2016 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 
5/2/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm) 
5/16/2016 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Massachusetts 
5/14/2008 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 2½ × 3½″ (7 × 9.1 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
5/27/2014 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 6″ (20 × 14 cm) 
5/22/2026 · Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia · ≈ 4½ × 3½″ (12 × 9.6 cm) 
5/9/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (14 × 22 cm) 
5/5/2016 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 
5/27/2014 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 14 cm) 
5/27/2014 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 5″ (12 × 13 cm) 
5/22/2026 · Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm) 
5/17/2013 · Gibbet Hill, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 8″ (16 × 19 cm) 
5/30/2025 · Bass Falls Preserve, Alna, Maine · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 16 cm) 
5/27/2014 · Dunstable Rural Land Trust, Dunstable, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 8″ (14 × 20 cm) 
5/5/2016 · Wildflower Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 
5/11/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Ayer, Massachusetts ID is uncertain 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Brassicales | Mustard, cabbage, caper, papaya, nasturtiums, many others; most produce mustard oil |
| Family | Brassicaceae | Mustards, cabbages |
| Genus | Barbarea | Named after St. Barbara and once generally known as her herb, or the Herba Sanctae Barbarae. According to legend, St. Barbara was beheaded by her own father, a wealthy heathen named Dioscorus, for expressing a belief in Christ |
| Species | vulgaris | Common |
Barbarea vulgaris description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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