Watercress (Nasturtium officinale)

Watercress, Nasturtium officinale, is a peppery aquatic green of cool, clean streams and springs, eaten in salads, sandwiches and soups. It grows wild in Himalayan and Nilgiri streams and is cultivated in water beds. A 2014 US public health analysis ranked it first among fruits and vegetables for nutrient density. Wild watercress from water used by livestock can carry liver flukes.

Botanical name: Nasturtium officinale W.T.Aiton
Family: Brassicaceae
Tamil: Watercress
Hindi: Watercress
Parts used: Leaf, Tender stem
Habit: Watercress; garden nasturtium is Tropaeolum, not this leaf
Last updated: 2026-10-30

How to recognise Watercress

It is a creeping, aquatic perennial with hollow stems that root at the nodes and float or lie in shallow water.

The leaves are pinnate, with rounded, dark green leaflets and a larger terminal one.

Small white, four-petalled flowers grow in clusters, typical of the mustard family.

Garden nasturtium, Tropaeolum majus, is an unrelated flower with round shield-shaped leaves.

Its leaves stay green through winter in flowing water, when most other greens are dormant.

Traditional use of Watercress

European kitchen

Watercress is eaten in sandwiches, salads and soups, and has been cultivated in English water beds since the nineteenth century.

European food practice

Modern notes on Watercress

Watercress is rich in vitamins K, C and A, and its peppery taste comes from phenethyl isothiocyanate.

Liver fluke (Fasciola) infection in people has been traced to wild watercress gathered from fields grazed by sheep and cattle.

Watercress safety

Buy cultivated watercress or gather only from clean springs well away from livestock. Cook wild cress if in doubt.

Ecology and sourcing

It is native to Europe and western Asia and naturalised in cool streams worldwide, including the Himalaya.

It needs clean, flowing, cool water.

In some countries it has become an invasive weed of waterways.

Commercial beds use spring-fed gravel channels so water stays cool and clean.

Related plants

Also in Brassicaceae

Questions about Watercress

Is Watercress garden nasturtium?

No. Garden nasturtium is Tropaeolum majus.

What older names does Nasturtium officinale go by?

Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum.

Is wild watercress safe?

Only from clean water away from livestock.

How is Watercress eaten?

Raw in salads and sandwiches, or cooked briefly in soups.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.