Peppergrass is a common plant; you might have it growing on your property without knowing it! It’s often treated as a weed because it grows and spreads rapidly.
Peppergrass, also known as least pepperwort or Virginia pepperweed, is part of the mustard family and was once called poor man’s pepper. All parts of the plant are edible, and you can eat the leaves raw or cooked.
Due to its invasive nature, growing peppergrass in your garden is far from difficult. Your biggest challenge will likely be trying to keep it under control. It does well in full sun or partial shade, doesn’t require a lot of watering, and can withstand drought-like conditions.
Peppergrass likes to reseed itself, so if you want to stop that from happening, remove the flowers before they turn to seeds. In most cases you shouldn’t have to worry about pests or disease problems.
The young seedpods can be used as a substitute for black pepper. The leaves can be eaten fresh in salads or sauteed. Another way that you can use the roots is to make substitute horseradish.
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