Medicinal Monday...PepperGrass

Today we often see peppergrass growing along roadsides and many consider it a weed. Lepidium virginicum or peppergrass has a long and interesting history. This annual has a spicey, horseradishy flavor and is sometimes called "poor man's pepper." It was used as a food seasoning in a time when there was little else available. This plant also has a long medicinal history with Native Americans.

About Peppergrass

Lepidium virginicum is native to many parts of North America including Connecticut and is a member of the Brassicaceae family that includes plants like mustard and broccoli. This annual plant grows from a single taproot from May - November and has a highly branched slightly hairy stem giving this plant an appearance similar to a bottle brush. The defining characteristic of the plant is the upper stems that end in cylindrical racemes of tiny clusters of individual white flowers attached to the central stem. The leaves alternate on the stem and are toothed lance-shaped and somewhat hairy. The seeds are borne in flat, round, dry fruits called silicles. This plant prefers full to partial sun and moist to dry conditions. It can be found in fields, meadows, along roadsides & railroad tracks, and in vacant lots, lawns, gardens, and waste areas.

Medicinal Uses

In addition to being used as a seasoning as well as a source of food, Native Americans had many medicinal uses for this plant. Many communities crushed the leaves to make a poultice to treat insect bites and poison ivy. A poultice of leaves was placed on the chest to treat coughs and colds. Crushed roots were used to draw wounds and blisters. A tea was made from the leaves to treat scurvy. The seeds are used to treat coughs and asthma. There are records indicating that the Cherokee made a poultice of the bruised root and applied it to blisters to draw them out. They also used a poultice to treat coughs. The Cherokee made an infusion of this plant and mixed it with feed to make chickens lay eggs. The Houma made a compound decoction of this plant and took it with whisky to treat tuberculosis.

Did You Know...

Peppergrass is a host plant for a number of butterflies including Cabbage Whites, Checkered Whites, and Sulphurs.

Modern medicine is exploring this plant's anti-microbial properties as a possible treatment for dysentery.

There are no poisonous look likes for this plant. 

The Incas cultivated this plant as there are 175 variations of it.

Peppergrass tends to absorb a high number of metals. This means that plants growing in contaminated soil can absorb and store them and should not be eaten.