Horseradish is used as a well-loved condiment. This member of the cabbage family is actually an introduced species in the UK, but causes no harm in the wild.
Horseradish is a common perennial of waste ground, railway cuttings and roadside verges mainly in England. Arriving here from western Asia sometime before the 16th century, the use of prepared Horseradish roots as a condiment for meat quickly became popular. But the preparation of Horseradish is pretty hard-going - the pungent roots can cause tears worse than those from chopping an onion! Today, commercial production is widespread.
How to identify
A bushy, lettuce-like plant, Horseradish has long, crinkled, oval leaves and tiny, white flowers that appear in clusters on the long stem.
Distribution
Mostly found in England.
Did you know?
As a member of the Brassica family (cabbages), it's no surprise that Horseradish has been cultivated for thousands of years - there is evidence that the both Ancient Greeks and Egyptians used it, and its leaves provided a popular herbal remedy in the Middle Ages.
