Flora Friday - Meadow Cress
Meadow Cress (Cardamine Pratensis) is part of the Brassicaceae family. Pratensis is derived from the Latin word Pratum, meaning meadow. It is the flower of the English county of Cheshire. Other names include:
- Cuckoo Flower
- Spinks
- Lady's Smock
- Cuckoo Bittercress
- Fen Cuckoo Flower
- Meadow Bittercress
- European Field Bittercress
- Mayflower
- Milkmaids
Where to find
Meadow Cress is native to most of Europe and Western Asia and is commonly found in the British Isles and Ireland. It has become a nationalised plant in North America. As the name implies, it can be found in meadows, stream margins, ditches, pastures and gardens as it is favoured as an ornamental plant.
Edible Parts
Parts of this plant are edible! Leaves and young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves have a mustard like taste and the flowers taste sort of like cress. The leaves can be made into a tea and the plant makes a lovely addition to salads but the flower stalk can be quite woody.
Medicinal Uses
Meadow Cress can be used for:
- Stimulating appetite
- Aiding with digestion
- Treating scurvy
- Helping with asthma
- Aiding with skin problems
- Helping with menstrual disorders (as a tea)
- Helping with Rheumatism
It is also a diuretic and an antispasmodic.
Magical Uses
In magical practices, Meadow Cress is used for:
- Love (attracting/repulsion)
- Fertility (encouraging/discouraging)
- Fae work
In folklore, Meadow Cress is said to be sacred to fairies and it was bad luck to bring inside (if you wish to bring it inside, get permission from the plant and the surrounding area). It is also said that picking Meadow Cress, if forbidden to do so, will bring thunderstorms and it is supposed to attract Adders so one could be be bitten if removing the plant.
Victorian Flower Language
I couldn't find any reference to Meadow Cress in Victorian Flower Language.
I hope you've enjoyed this weeks Flora Friday!!
Blessings,
C )0(
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
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