Topic: watercress

[aquilegia]

Is watercress annual or perennial?

I bought some from the supermarket (organic of course) on Tuesday and already it is happily rooting away in a glass of water.

And it is producing little flower buds. Should I pince these off (like you do with basil) or let them be? Are the flowers edible?

It's to go in my pond, so goodness only knows if it'll grow!

[tim]

Perennial - I would let it be - could self-seed? = Tim

[john_miller]

  Once the plant is out of it's pot the flowerheads will form on stems that are long enough to cut anyway. I would just clip any stems presently flowering far enough down that they are useable. The whole of the above ground plant is edible.
  Watercress grows best in flowing water incidentally. Are you aware of the possibility of contracting liver fluke from watercress and what can be done to avoid it?

[aquilegia]

liver fluke? No John - please tell me more. eek.

Does it need to be planted? I thought it just floated on the surface?