Most of us are used to seeing cress as tiny sprouts on a windowsill, but we rarely get to see it actually bloom. That’s because we usually harvest those peppery little greens as soon as the first pair of leaves appears. Plus, those thin little germination pads aren’t really built to support a full-grown plant! However, if you move your cress to a garden bed or a decent-sized pot on the balcony, it’ll bloom reliably—which is a major turning point for your harvest.
Cress blooms in just a few weeks
Cress is a speed demon when it comes to growing. In the garden, you can start harvesting tiny leaves just 2 to 3 weeks after sowing. Give it a few more weeks—usually by August—and unclipped cress can reach up to 20 inches tall. Around this time, you’ll see countless tiny buds opening into delicate white or pale pink flowers.
Are the flowers edible?
You can absolutely eat cress flowers without any worries. Just a heads-up, though: don’t expect a flavor explosion. They’re actually pretty bland. But the blooming phase doesn’t just produce tasteless flowers; it also changes the leaves:
- The leaves stay edible while the plant is flowering.
- However, they lose a lot of that signature punchy flavor.
- For the best taste, it’s really best to finish your harvest before the flowers show up.
Let them bloom for the seeds
If you want to grow cress on repeat, leave a few flowers alone even after they fade. They’ll develop into small pods, each packed with several seeds. You can harvest these pods because the seeds are edible and actually quite healthy! But if you want seeds that will actually sprout next season, you need to leave them on the plant until they are fully ripe and dry.
Pro Tip:
Since it grows so fast, cress is a fantastic cover crop for empty garden patches. The leaves cover the bare soil, which helps keep weeds down and prevents erosion.
Nasturtiums: The aromatic exception
Nasturtiums (often called “Indian Cress” in some regions) look very different from standard garden cress, but they still pack that classic peppery kick. The best part? They stay flavorful even while blooming, so you can keep harvesting them right up until the first frost. Their bright yellow, orange, or red flowers are edible, look stunning on a plate, and taste amazing. They combine that sharp mustard-oil note with a hint of floral sweetness.
Cress on the windowsill
It’s pretty rare to see cress bloom on a windowsill. This is mostly because we snip it so early—cress sprouts are at their peak flavor right before they start thinking about flowering. Also, those thin growing mats just don’t have enough nutrients for a mature plant. If you really want to see cress bloom indoors, sow it early in the year using a large pot with actual potting soil.
