Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0
Winter cress
Plant·Barbarea vulgaris
Full sun
Sun
Medium
Water
Moist soil
Drainage
Zones 4–8
Hardiness
Winter cress (Barbarea vulgaris) is a plant. It grows best in full sun and has moderate water needs. It grows well with cabbage.
Through the year
DormantLeafing outFloweringFruitingDying back
Works well with
from wiki dataWHAT IT NEEDS
Wants full sun
Needs moderate water
Tolerates moist soil, as long as it drains well
Prefers soil pH 6–7.5
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Prefers loam, clay, sand soil
Tolerates some soil compaction
Draws up sulfur, potassium from deep in the soil
Adds a moderate amount of organic matter to the soil
WHAT IT GIVES
Gives leaf litter (moderate)
Gives organic matter (moderate)
Gives ground cover (moderate)
Gives pollen (abundant)
Gives nectar (abundant)
Provides sulfur
Provides potassium
Attracts pollinators
Attracts beneficial insects
Hosts pest insects
HOW IT GROWS
SIZE & SPACING
Herbaceous
Height30–90 cm
Spacing30 cm (min 20 cm)
Root depthMedium
Width30–60 cm
Width figures are rough estimates, the most variable measurement in our data.
AI estimate · accuracy improves as growers contribute corrections.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Propagate by seed
Difficulty
Establishes in about 1 yr
Self-seeds readily on its own
Where this comes from
Parsed22 Sept 2026
ConfidenceNot recorded
Photograph Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0