Whitetop is a perennial herb that reproduces by seeds and by horizontal creeping roots.

The basal leaves are 4 to 10 cm, have a slight stem (petiole), and are long and flat, lance-shaped to egg-shaped, with the narrow end attached to the stalk.

[4][6] Hoary cress was traditionally used for medicinal purposes, including anti-inflammatory and antibacterial treatments.

[4] It is native to western Asia and southeastern Europe and is an invasive species in North America, introduced by contaminated seeds in the early 1900s.

[7][8] It has been suggested that native grasses from the Poa genera may be able to outcompete hoary cress in North America.