Foragers of the woods: Can you identify this green?

[Patchouli]

My first thought was watercress, even though I've never seen it identified in the wild (or tame).
I found this lovely specimen in the Smoky Mountains in late March/early April.
Looking online and in my books, I can't find anything that matches. I still think it's watercress.

 

[SheepDog]

It doesn't look like watercress to me but it might be related. Take a stalk to your local extension office or a ranger station to make a positive identification.
All the watercress I have seen has fewer leaves along the stalks.

 

[camo2460]

It is Watercress. I don't see any Flowers, but they grow in masses on the ends of the Stalks, they are minute with Four tiny Petals which are White or sometimes Lavender colored . The Leaves are rounded, with several rounded leaves along the leaf stem. The Leaves will have a Sharp Mustard or Peppery Flavor. Some describe the Flavor as Tangy. Usually Watercress grows in the Water so care should be taken to gather from Water that is not Polluted. If you gather some make sure you clean it well as it is often crawling with Aphids, unless you like a little Meat with your Salad. In the past Watercress was used as a Diuretic and Blood Purifier, in India the Leaves are used to treat Vitamin Deficiencies, and in Germany it is used to treat Inflammation of the Respiratory Tract.

 

[Patchouli]

I'm hundreds of miles from there now. Thank you for your opinions and input. It was up in the mountains, in a national park, and it was still snowy a little further up. Where we were that day, we had sleet.
Is watercress always a wild plant?

 

[Meerkat]

Not sure but I do know that poke salad use to grow wild everywhere here i n the south now you never see it anymore.
So guess Annie is out of greens and the allegator is up the creek with granny.

One fine performance of the king about a forager fro greens.

 

[The Innkeeper]

I'm hundreds of miles from there now. Thank you for your opinions and input. It was up in the mountains, in a national park, and it was still snowy a little further up. Where we were that day, we had sleet.
Is watercress always a wild plant?

I have never tried growing it but lots of places sell the seed for grow your own. I think it needs running water but I could be mistaken about that

 

[kappydell]

water cress does indeed like it...wet, real wet. Try planting upland cress, or another mustard green instead. I'm looking for new patch of garlic mustard myself, an invasive weed that tastes like mustard greens with garlic already in it. The pesto lovers seem to have fallen in love with it, but I just like greens. Because it is considered an invasive weed, not really gonna find seeds anywhere though!

 

[herbalnewbie]

Not sure but I do know that poke salad use to grow wild everywhere here i n the south now you never see it anymore.
So guess Annie is out of greens and the allegator is up the creek with granny.

One fine performance of the king about a forager fro greens.

Oh my gosh, I have poke sallet everywhere! I'm afraid to try it even though my dad used to eat a lot of it when I was growing up.

 

[Meerkat]

Oh my gosh, I have poke sallet everywhere! I'm afraid to try it even though my dad used to eat a lot of it when I was growing up.

Its fine ,just boil it and pour off water about 3 times from what I remember, then cook like aany greens there are those here who know more about it.