Yellow Rocket, Scurvy Grass, Bittercress, Creasy Greens: Barbarea vulgaris. How it got these names!

Barbarea vulgaris is known by many different common names including: Yellow Rocket, Winter cress, Bitter cress, Scurvy grass and Creasy-greens cress. It blooms with abundant and brilliant yellow flowers in the spring. The yellow flowers are four-petaled and have a single central stigma and six stamens. It is not native to North America and was brought by settlers as part of their herb, kitchen, and medicinal gardens. In some places it can be an aggressive and invasive weed. The origin and meaning of its scientific name and its common names are described. Also, known as Scurvy Grass, it was used a cure for scurvy, a vitamin C deficiency disease. The plant was often referred as " Creasy Greens" and sought after and collected by settlers in the Appalachian Mountains after long winters with out fresh vitamin-rich greens or fruits. This is just one of many edible, nutritious "weeds" one can find around one's house or neighborhood that were brought by European Settlers and once used extensively for food and medicine.