Watercress

Kim63

Would you eat watercress if it was growing in your pond? Hubby was given some pond plants by someone who grows them for a living, last year i noticed watercress growing along with them and tugged it out and stuck it on the compost heap. Well this year its growing en mass and hubby informs me that they grow their pond plants  in the fresh water cress beds. So i was wondering as the water in my pond is not fresh nor flowing would you eat it? Many thanks.

Dovefromabove

I wouldn't eat watercress growing in a garden pond - the pond is probably visited by birds and animals who may also visit damp meadows and rivers where there are river flukes 

http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/wildflowers-plants-and-tree-forums/82254-eating-wild-watercress.html

However, you can grow watercress yourself  http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jan/26/gardening-alys-fowler-grow-watercress

Notjustgreenfingers blog

I sow watercress seeds in a large black post filled with compost and I get a good crop each year.  You can see it growing here (about half way down the page:  http://notjustgreenfingers.wordpress.com/2013/06/24/how-to-grow-watercress-and-a-watercress-leek-potato-soup/