# Cabbages And Mustards (*brassica*)

Cabbages and mustards are leafy plants that come in many colors and shapes! They are fun to eat and can grow in gardens or fields.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Cabbages and mustards can be found in gardens, farms, and open fields.
- **Also known as:** Cole Crops

![Cabbages And Mustards](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Brassica_rapa_plant.jpg&width=800)

Photo: TeunSpaans, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brassica_rapa_plant.jpg)

## Appearance

The Cabbages And Mustards is a diverse group of plants typically featuring broad, often crinkled or smooth green leaves, which can form dense, rounded heads or grow upright. Its small, four-petaled flowers are usually bright yellow, sometimes white, arranged in clusters. Distinctive leaf shapes differentiate them.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Mollusca
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Brassicales
- **Family:** Brassicaceae
- **Genus:** Brassica

## Interesting facts

- Broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts are all members of the cabbage family!
- Mustard seeds have been used for thousands of years as food and medicine!
- Some types of mustard can grow over a meter tall in just a few weeks!
- The spicy kick in mustard comes from chemicals released when the seeds are crushed!

## Special abilities

- **Spicy Defense:** Cabbages And Mustards can create pungent mustard oils that deter many insects and animals from eating them.
- **Nutrient Vault:** Many varieties store massive amounts of nutrients in their thick leaves or dense heads, like a living food reserve.
- **Speedy Sprout:** Some types can grow very quickly from seed to maturity, helping them establish before competitors.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-150 cm
- **Spread:** 10-90 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Biennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Cabbage White butterfly (*Pieris rapae*) — Larvae consume leaves.
- **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen.
- **Eaten by:** Cabbage Aphid (*Brevicoryne brassicae*) — Sucks sap from leaves.
- **Eaten by:** Diamondback Moth (*Plutella xylostella*) — Larvae chew plant tissues.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Cabbages And Mustards?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Cabbages And Mustards?

15-150 cm

### How wide does Cabbages And Mustards spread?

10-90 cm

### How big are the flowers on Cabbages And Mustards?

1-2 cm

### When does Cabbages And Mustards bloom?

Spring to Summer

### Is Cabbages And Mustards edible?

Yes

### Is Cabbages And Mustards toxic?

None

### What is Cabbages And Mustards's lifecycle?

Biennial

## Where to spot

- [Poburn Woods Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/poburn-woods-park) — Virginia, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Cabbages And Mustards: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cabbages-and-mustards)