Hoary Cress

Hoary Cress (Lepidium draba) is an erect perennial herb that grows up to 90 cm tall. The stems and leaves are densely covered in soft, minute hairs, giving the plant a grayish green or bluish green colour. The lower leaves are shortly stalked, long and narrow (up to 10 cm long) and have toothed edges. The upper leaves are toothed or entire, but have no stalk and instead clasp the stem. The flowers are crowded into dense, flat-topped clusters and consist of four, small, white petals (up to 4 mm long). The fruits are shaped like an upside down heart (3-5 mm long, 3.5-5 mm wide) and have two inflated chambers that each contains 1-2 seeds. The seeds are small (approximately 2 mm long), oval in shape and dark reddish-brown in colour when ripe.