Alright, what the heck is this?

It's a weed. It's all over my yard. It's not a dominant or deep rooting plant, as far as I can tell. Is it useful? I've ID'd pretty much all the other stuff in my yard that I didn't put there, but this eludes me.

Most of it is pretty young. I did a bunch of earth moving this summer, and most, if not all of it has sprouted since then. Thanks in advance for your help.

Let me be really helpful by first off saying I don't know what it is.

However, the really interesting thing is that it has popped up where you did earthworks - note the absence of tap root - instead you have fine hair net roots - the sign of a "soil stabilizer" plant. How cool is that? Nature is filling a niche with the right kind of pioneer weed.

Yes....it's the little things that excite me.

Really, this is why I'm asking. It doesn't seem harmful to anything I'm trying to do, but I'd like to know if it's going to eat my hugel come springtime so I can be prepared.

Edit::: and if it is going to eat my hugel, what its properties are so I can combat it with something I do want there.

Pretty sure it's a cress, waiting for backup.

I was going to say cress too, but I haven't done my homework on that...

Thank you for the guidance. I'm leaning toward hairy bittercress. I'll know for certain when they flower in spring, but it looks right and the description of growth patterns and preferences sounds just like what I have going on in my yard. Sounds like if I continue on the path to maturing my yard/ garden it is a 'problem' that will take care of itself.

Thanks again.

bittercress looks right to me too.. sounds like it make for good munching too

I'll second/third/whatever the vote for some kind of cress. Have you tried a nibble? If it's peppery and sort of arugula-like, that might confirm it.

Yup, spicy after a bit of chewing. I'm calling it solved. Thanks everyone.