Perennial Lepidium
Lepidium spp.

Family: Brassicaceae

What it is like

A genus of plants in the mustard/cabbage family, Brassicaceae. Annual to perennial, herbs or shrubs. Species include garden cress, maca, and dittander. A possible carbon farming solutions plant as a staple oil-seed crop.

Lepidium spp. is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft) by 2 m (6ft 7in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 1.2

Where it is found

Various depending on the species.

Origin: N. Temperate. Widely distributed in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Widely distributed in the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 5

Carbon Farming Solutions - Staple Crop: oil (The term staple crop typically refers to a food that is eaten routinely and accounts for a dominant part of people's diets in a particular region of the world). Fruit is usually spreading and squat (less than 3 times as long as broad),

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 3

Various medicinal qualities depending on the species.

Other

Rating: 0

See individual species.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Staple Crop: Oil: (0-15 percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Some of these are consumed whole while others are exclusively pressed for oil. Annuals include canola, poppyseed, maize, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut. Perennials include high-oil fruits, seeds, and nuts, such as olive, coconut, avocado, oil palm, shea, pecan, and macadamia. Some perennial oil crops are consumed whole as fruits and nuts, while others are exclusively pressed for oil (and some are used fresh and for oil).

Under Development: Plant breeders are actively working to domesticate these plants for cultivation, but they are not yet commercially available as crops. Examples include most of the perennial cereal grains.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Staple Crop: Oil: (0-15 percent protein, 16+ percent oil). Some of these are consumed whole while others are exclusively pressed for oil. Annuals include canola, poppyseed, maize, cottonseed, sunflower, peanut. Perennials include high-oil fruits, seeds, and nuts, such as olive, coconut, avocado, oil palm, shea, pecan, and macadamia. Some perennial oil crops are consumed whole as fruits and nuts, while others are exclusively pressed for oil (and some are used fresh and for oil).

Under Development: Plant breeders are actively working to domesticate these plants for cultivation, but they are not yet commercially available as crops. Examples include most of the perennial cereal grains.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Climate: boreal to warm temperate. Humidity: semi-arid to humid. A genus of plants in the mustard/cabbage family, Brassicaceae. Annual to perennial, herbs or shrubs. Species include garden cress, maca, and dittander. Lepidium is from the Greek lepis (scale) referring to the shape of the seed pods. Carbon Farming Solutions - Cultivation: under development. Management: standard (Describes the non-destructive management systems that are used in cultivation).

Propagating it: See individual species.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 3-10

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Common names include peppercress, peppergrass, and pepperwort.

Synonyms

Many. See individual species.