Yellow Rocket Cress is a perennial or biennial herb native to Europe and Japan in the mustard family. In nature, it is commonly found in moist places, roadsides, stream banks and hedges. In its first year it forms a basal rosette of leaves and the next year it creates tall flowering stalks topped with goldenrod colored flowers. A healthy plant will produce flowers in abundance and they are mildly fragrant. The blooming period occurs from mid-spring to early summer and lasts about a month. The genus name Barbarea derives from Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners, as this plant in the past was used to soothe the wounds caused by explosions. The species Latin name vulgaris means “common”. Yellow Rocket Cress does best in sun or light shade in moist, slightly acidic, well-drained soil. The plant will continue to grow all winter, if the weather is mild. Yellow Rocket Cress prefers a fertile loam or clay-loam soil, but growth is less robust at dry sites with poor soil. Most vegetative growth occurs during the cool weather of early to mid-spring. It is usually classified as a short-lived perennial, although it usually self-sows freely it is not considered particularly invasive. The plant has a stout taproot which can make it difficult to transplant once mature. This plant spreads by reseeding itself, and occasionally forms colonies. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Obovate
Leaf margin
Dentate; Lobed; Undulate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Edible; Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Basal leaves are up to 6 inches long and 2½ inches across, odd-pinnate with 1-4 pairs of lateral lobes and a large terminal lobe. These lobes are oval, obovate, or nearly orbicular, and have margins that are slightly undulate or bluntly dentate. The alternate leaves are sessile or clasp the stems. The lower to middle alternate leaves resemble the basal leaves, except that they are smaller and have fewer lateral lobes. The upper alternate leaves are up to 2 inches long and 1 inch across. Both the basal and alternate leaves are dark green, hairless, and shiny on the upper surface.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Raceme
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Upper stems terminate in racemes of yellow flowers. The flowers bloom toward the apex of each raceme, while the seedpods (siliques) develop below. Each flower is up to 1/3 of an inch across, consisting of 4 yellow petals, 4 yellowish green sepals that are linear-lanceolate, 6 stamens with pale yellow to light brown anthers, and a single pistil with a thick style.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Siliqua
Fruit size
< 1 inch long
Fruit detail
Fruit produced on the same stems as the flowers. Angular-cylindrical seedpod about ¾ to 1 inch long. The base of each seedpod is connected to a short slender pedicel, while at the other end it terminates in a short slender beak. These seedpods are ascending, rather than strictly erect, along the racemes. The seeds are ovoid, slightly flattened, and more or less brown.
Stem color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Flowers are held on hairless stalks that are stout, light green to reddish purple, and somewhat angular. Secondary stalks are produced in the upper half of the plant.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe, Mediterranean, Japan
Distribution
Europe, including Britain, south and east to N. Africa and Asia, Canada and the United States.
Wildlife value
attracts bees and butterfiles
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Siliqua
Edibility
Young leaves can be eaten raw or cooked, but there is some evidence that it can impact kidney function.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Rock Wall; Woodland
Landscape theme
Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#problem for horses #non-toxic for dogs #non-toxic for cats #showy flowers #flowers mid-summer #edible leaves
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Horses; Weedy
Resistant to
Diseases; Insect Pests; Wet Soil
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Leaves
Poison symptoms
Consuming quantities of leaves can affect kidney function.