Lepidium latifolium

Plants

Broad-leaved Pepperweed, broadleaf pepperweed, broadleaved peppergrass, broadleaved pepperweed, peppergrass mustard, perennial peppercress, Perennial Pepperweed, tall whitetop, Virginia pepperweed

Lepidium latifoloium (Perennial Pepperweed) is a tall (to 1000-2000 mm) flowering plant, with numerous woody stalks, and cluster of small white 4-petaled flowers.  It is native to southern Europe, the Mediterranean region, and Asia, east to the Himalayas. It was first recorded in Massachusetts in before 1924, and  has had scattered occurrences in disturbed areas and beaches in New York and New England.  It is considered to have a 'Facultative' Wetland status, occurring with equal frequency in wetland and drier soils. This plant grows well in disturbed soils, but becomes especially abundant in wetlands, including fresh and brackish marshes.  Lepidium latifolium tolerates salinities as high as 32 PSU.  Although it is a common weed in terrestrial environments, including farm fields. range lands and roadsides, it is considered a major invasive species in fresh and brackish marshes in the San Francisco Bay Delta, where it was first recorded in 1941.  In the Delta, and on San Pablo Bay, it is displacing native vegetation important to wildlife.  This tall plant competes partly by shading, but also decreases the biomass and diversity of benthic invertebrates in the marshes.  Control of this plant with mowing and herbicides has has limited success;  This plant is widespread in terrestrial habitats on the West Coast, and probably occurs in other tidal wetlands, but we have not yet found specific records,