My Plant and Animal Neighbors: Hoary Bittercress, Other common or country names include lamb's cress, land cress, hoary bitter cress, spring cress, flick weed, and shot weed (or lambscress, landcress, hoary bittercress, springcress, flickweed, and shotweed). As Old English stune, the plant is cited as one of the herbs invoked in the pagan Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm, recorded in the 10th century.
" 'Stune' is the name of this herb, it grew on a stone,
it stands up against poison, it dashes against poison"
(This plant is called cress, it grew on a stone,
it stands against poison, it attacks against pain)
--Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm
This itsy bitsy little flower is growing out in the yard.
"Cardamine hirsuta, is an annual or biennial plant native to Europe and Asia, but also present in North America. The plant is a member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), and is edible[1] as a bitter herb. It flowers from quite early in the Spring until the Autumn. The small white flowers are borne in a corymb on wiry green stems, soon followed by the seeds and often continuing to flower as the first seeds ripen. The seed are borne in siliquae which, as with many Brassica species, will often burst explosively when touched (explosive dehiscence), sending the seeds flying far from the parent plant. Seeds germinate in the Autumn, and the tiny plants are winter annual (green throughout the winter months).
This plant grows best in damp, recently disturbed soil. These conditions are prevalent in nursery or garden centre plants, and hairy bittercress seeds may be introduced with those plants. Once established, particularly in lawn areas, it is difficult to eradicate. The tiny flowers are attractive to a few early butterflies, including (in the United States) spring azure (Celastrina ladon) and falcate orange-tip (Anthocharis midea)."
Folk lore – in fact this nasturtium is watercress, is said to benefit the bite of all those that have deadly poison that are very deadly, and for spasms of the womb. Placed under the bed is said to increase masculinity where its intoxicating scent will reach the nose.
Use – it’s a diuretic, purgative, stimulant, a remedy against anemia, exzema, kidney and liver disorders, boils, warts and tumours. Cleansing the blood, dissolving kidney stones, and cleanses the lymphatic system.