Barbarea verna
Early winter cress
(c) Jenny Saito, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Barbarea verna (Early winter cress) is a non-native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by very long pods and highly divided leaves.
Early winter cress is a naturalized perennial found in southern coastal Range regions of Monterey County in damp soils, fields, and disturbed areas at elevations below 1,600 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces bright yellow flowers 6 to 7 millimeters long in compact clusters. Growing with branched stems 25 to 80 centimeters tall that are glabrous and upright, it develops pinnately lobed leaves with 6 to 10 lateral lobe pairs. Its basal leaves range from 2 to 18 centimeters long, with distinctive lateral lobes that become progressively smaller up the stem. The plant produces ascending fruits 4.5 to 8 centimeters long, containing 38 to 48 small oblong seeds.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; distinguished by very long pods and highly divided leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Damp soils, fields, rocky outcrops, disturbed areas
Elevation: < 1600 m
Outside California: widespread to British Columbia, eastern North America, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Barbarea verna blooms Mar-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Sisymbrium: Upper stems are distinctly angular-ridged versus rounded stems.; vs Brassica: Stem leaves clasp with lobed bases versus non-clasping leaves in Brassica.; vs Mutarda: Found in wet streambank habitats versus drier upland sites.; vs Rorippa: Seeds arranged in one row per pod versus two rows in Rorippa.; vs Erysimum: Stem leaves clasp at base with lobes versus non-clasping entire leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Is Barbarea verna native to California?
No. Barbarea verna is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Barbarea verna bloom?
Barbarea verna blooms Mar-Jul.
What plant family does Barbarea verna belong to?
Barbarea verna is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Barbarea.
What habitat does Barbarea verna grow in?
Barbarea verna grows in Uncommon. Damp soils, fields, rocky outcrops, disturbed areas.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.