Creasy Greens – Identification

Q: My grandmother mentioned eating creasy greens in spring. She said they were a favorite mountain tonic. What can you tell me about them?

A: Creasy greens, also called winter cress, are in the mustard family. The botanical name is Barbaraea verna. Mountain folk would look for them in early spring and cook them as you would turnip greens. They have a definite “twang” to the tongue, plus many good vitamins. The leaves grow in a rosette, similar to dandelion.

See Creasy Greens

Creasy Greens Seed