Lepidium sativum

Lepidium sativum (garden cress) seed for fast, peppery cress and microgreens. The 'cress' in mustard and cress — germinates in days and is ready to snip in a week or two.
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  • Plain Cress seeds (Lepidium sativum) – annual vegetable Plain Cress (Lepidium sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    20%
    Plain Cress Seeds Lepidium Sativum Annual Vegetable
    €3,56€4,45

    Plain cress seeds for quick leafy harvests plain cress seeds are an easy, versatile choice for anyone looking to grow a fresh-tasting annual leaf vegetable at home. This classic garden cress is known for its...
  • Cress Microgreens seeds (Lepidium sativum) – annual microgreens Cress Microgreens (Lepidium sativum) – annual microgreens seeds from SeedsChoice
    Cress Seeds Microgreens Lepidium Sativum Annual
    €4,95

    Fast microgreens for fresh kitchen garnishes cress seeds are a classic choice for quick, flavorful micro leaves in the Specialty Collection. This annual herb seed variety produces fine, bright green shoots with a crisp texture...
  • Cress Sprouting seeds (Lepidium sativum) – organic annual sprouting seeds Cress Sprouting (Lepidium sativum) – organic annual sprouting seeds from SeedsChoice
    Cress Sprouting Seeds Organic Lepidium Sativum Annual
    €4,95

    Organic cress seeds for fresh sprouting cress sprouting seeds are a popular choice for producing tender shoots and young leaves with a pleasantly peppery, mustard-like taste. This organic vegetable seed is ideal for quick harvests...
  • Common Cress seeds (Lepidium sativum) – organic annual vegetable Common Cress (Lepidium sativum) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Common Cress Seeds Lepidium Sativum Organic Annual Vegetable
    €4,95

    Organic annual leafy cress for quick harvests common cress seeds are a classic choice for an annual leafy vegetable with a fresh, peppery taste. This organic variety is also known as Lepidium sativum and is...
  • Cress Leaf Crop seeds (Lepidium sativum) – annual vegetable Cress Leaf Crop (Lepidium sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Cress Seeds Lepidium Sativum Annual Vegetable Leaf Crop
    €4,45

    Fresh cress leaves for kitchen gardens cress seeds are a classic choice for an annual leaf vegetable with a crisp, peppery taste. This garden cress seed is valued for producing tender leaves that are easy...
  • Common Cress Leaf Crop seeds (Lepidium sativum) – annual vegetable Common Cress Leaf Crop (Lepidium sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Common Cress Seeds Lepidium Sativum Annual Vegetable Leaf Crop
    €4,95

    Common cress for quick leafy kitchen harvests common cress seeds are a classic annual leaf vegetable valued for their compact growth and fresh, peppery-tasting leaves. This variety of garden cress is well suited to small...
  • Broad Leaved Cress seeds (Lepidium sativum) – annual vegetable Broad Leaved Cress (Lepidium sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Broad Leaved Cress Seeds Lepidium Sativum Annual
    €4,45

    Broad-leaved cress for fresh leafy harvests broad leaved cress seeds produce a fast, compact leafy crop with a fresh, peppery character. This annual leafy vegetable is commonly known as garden cress broad leaf and is...
  • Broad Leaved Cress seeds (Lepidium sativum) – annual vegetable Broad Leaved Cress (Lepidium sativum) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Broad Leaved Cress Seeds Lepidium Sativum Annual Vegetable
    €4,45

    Broad-leaved cress for quick leafy harvests broad leaved cress seeds are a classic choice for anyone who enjoys fresh, peppery-tasting leaves in the kitchen. This annual leaf vegetable is known for its compact habit and...
  • Cress 500g Sprouting seeds (Lepidium sativum) – sprouting seeds Cress 500g Sprouting (Lepidium sativum) – sprouting seeds from SeedsChoice
    Cress Seeds Lepidium Sativum 500g Vegetable Sprouting Variety
    €19,95

    Versatile cress for garden and windowsill cress seeds are a classic choice for anyone who enjoys fresh, aromatic greenery from a compact plant. This vegetable sprouting variety is commonly known as garden cress seed and...
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Lepidium sativum — garden cress

Lepidium sativum is the botanical name for garden cress, a fast, peppery leaf in the cabbage family (Brassicaceae) — the familiar partner to mustard in "mustard and cress". It grows quickly enough to sit happily among our microgreens and sprouts as well as our fresh leafy greens.

History & origin

Garden cress is thought to have originated in Western Asia and the Middle East, and it has been grown for thousands of years — the Persians, Greeks and Romans all ate it, and it remains a staple from Europe to India, where the seed is used in its own right. Its speed and reliability made it one of the first plants children were given to grow, sprouted on damp cotton wool. The genus name Lepidium comes from the Greek for a small scale, a nod to the shape of the seed pods, while sativum means cultivated.

Botanical characteristics

Lepidium sativum is a quick annual that germinates within a day or two and produces a flush of small, bright green leaves with a hot, mustardy tang. Young seedlings have rounded seed-leaves; later true leaves are more finely cut and curled in some varieties. Left to grow on it bolts rapidly, sending up thin stems of tiny white flowers, so it is almost always harvested young as seedlings or microgreens. Few crops are faster or easier from seed.

Growing Lepidium sativum from seed

Cress needs no garden at all — sow thickly on damp kitchen paper, compost or a fine seedbed, keep it moist and bright, and snip the seedlings within one to two weeks. Outdoors it does best in cool conditions and light shade in summer, where it is slower to bolt. Sow little and often for a constant supply. Our guide to germinating seeds explains how to get fast, even results, and the vegetable sowing calendar shows the wider season.

Ready for the quickest leaves you'll ever grow? Browse the varieties below.

Related categories: Microgreens & Sprouts · Fresh Leafy Greens · Fast-Growing Vegetables · Arugula · All Vegetables

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How quickly does garden cress grow?
Very quickly — seed germinates within one to two days and seedlings are usually ready to harvest in seven to fourteen days, making it one of the fastest crops of all. Do I need soil to grow cress?
No. Cress grows readily on damp kitchen paper, cotton wool or a thin layer of compost on a bright windowsill, which is why it is a classic first crop for children. What is the difference between mustard and cress?
In the traditional pairing, cress (Lepidium sativum) is sown a few days before mustard so both are ready together. Cress has a peppery bite, while mustard adds extra heat. Why is my cress turning leggy and flowering?
Warm conditions and low light make it stretch and bolt fast, so grow it cool and bright, harvest young, and sow little and often for a steady supply.