Lakecress (Neobeckia): A Native North American Perennial Worth Knowing
If you’re on the hunt for native plants to add to your garden, you might have stumbled across the name lakecress, scientifically known as Neobeckia. This lesser-known native perennial has an intriguing story, though admittedly, it’s not the showiest plant you’ll find at your local nursery. Let’s dive into what makes this North American native worth considering – or perhaps worth passing up – for your landscape.
What Exactly Is Lakecress?
Lakecress belongs to the genus Neobeckia and lives up to its classification as a forb – essentially a fancy botanical term for a non-woody plant that isn’t a grass. Think of forbs as the herbaceous workhorses of the plant world. They lack the thick, woody stems of shrubs and trees, but they make up for it with their ability to pop up year after year thanks to their perennial nature.
As a forb, lakecress keeps its growing points (those all-important buds) either right at ground level or tucked safely below the surface. This survival strategy helps it weather harsh winters and bounce back each growing season.
Where Does Lakecress Call Home?
Here’s where lakecress really shines in the native plant department. This perennial is authentically North American, claiming both Canada and the lower 48 United States as its native stomping grounds. Its range is impressively extensive, spanning from the maritime provinces of Canada down to the Gulf Coast states.
You can find lakecress growing naturally across a wide swath of North America, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Ontario, and Quebec.
Should You Plant Lakecress in Your Garden?
Here’s where things get a bit tricky. While lakecress earns gold stars for being a true native with an extensive natural range, information about its garden performance, aesthetic qualities, and cultivation requirements is surprisingly scarce. This isn’t necessarily a red flag, but it does mean you’d be venturing into somewhat uncharted territory if you decide to grow it.
The Growing Challenge
Unfortunately, specific details about lakecress’s preferred growing conditions, hardiness zones, mature size, and care requirements aren’t well-documented in readily available gardening resources. This knowledge gap makes it challenging to provide concrete advice about whether this plant would thrive in your particular garden situation.
What we do know is that as a native North American perennial forb, it has evolved to survive in various climates across its extensive range. However, without specific information about soil preferences, light requirements, moisture needs, or mature size, recommending lakecress becomes a bit of a gardening gamble.
The Bottom Line for Gardeners
While lakecress scores points for being a legitimate native plant with an impressive geographic range, the lack of detailed cultivation information might make other native options more appealing for most home gardeners. If you’re drawn to the idea of growing this particular native, you might want to:
- Contact local native plant societies or botanical gardens for region-specific growing advice
- Check with your county extension office for local expertise
- Consider well-documented native alternatives that offer similar ecological benefits with proven garden performance
Sometimes the most responsible approach to native gardening is choosing plants we know will succeed in our gardens and provide reliable benefits to local wildlife. While lakecress might be a fascinating native species, there are likely other native forbs in your area with better-documented garden performance and clearer cultivation guidelines.
Remember, the best native plant for your garden is one that thrives in your specific conditions while supporting local ecosystems – and sometimes that means choosing the well-known native over the mysterious one, at least until more growing information becomes available.
