Note – It seems in Australia there is a bit of confusion about  the identity of the plant known commonly here as ‘Lebanese cress’.

Berula erecta is an Australian native water plant (it also occurs elsewhere across the world and is commonly called water parsnip). This may be the plant that I have know till now as ‘Lebanese cress’.  This one tastes great and a lot like water cress crossed with celery. I will check this when it all flowers in the oncoming spring!

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Aethionema cordifolium is commonly known as Lebanese Cress – however I am unsure why it is associated with Lebanon as it is mainly found from what i can understand in Europe and the UK. To me it has a flavour that is part celery or parsley and part cucumber with a typical green cress overtone but without too much heat or bite that many other cress type plants can have. It retains the flavour even when cooked although generally it is better eaten as a fresh leafy addition to a dish.

It grows really well with lots of water and is obviously a water or swamp plant in origin. But it can also stand up to fairly dry periods so it’s not essential that it be grown in water. I grow it in pots with lots of compost and it grows ferociously – especially if given a good regular dose of seaweed and manure and watered regularly.

It is a perennial and it will regrow each year after it dies down a little in mid winter – but otherwise it’s a very hardy frost resistant and heat resistant plant.

It reproduces easily from root cuttings or divisions.