Herb: Desert Pepperweed


Latin name: Lepidium fremontii


Family: Cruciferae



Edible parts of Desert Pepperweed:

Young leaves - raw or cooked. A hot cress-like flavour. Seed - dried and ground into a powder which can be used as a mush or mixed with cereal flours to make bread. The seed can also be used as a flavouring. The seeds can be pounded, mixed with water and used as a beverage.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
50 cm
(1 foot)

Habitat of the herb:

Rocky or sandy places in scrub or woods below 1500 metres in California.

Propagation of Desert Pepperweed:

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Rocky or sandy places in scrub or woods below 1500 metres in California.

Medicinal use of Desert Pepperweed:

None known

Known hazards of Lepidium fremontii:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.