# Canola (*Brassica napus*)

Canola plants have bright yellow flowers and produce seeds that are used to make healthy cooking oil. They grow in fields and are important for making food.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Fields
- **Also known as:** Oilseed Rape, Rapeseed

![Canola](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Brassica_napus_-_Habit.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Brassica_napus_-_Habit.jpg)

## Appearance

The Canola plant has slender, green stalks topped with dense clusters of small, bright yellow flowers. These vibrant blossoms create vast, golden fields, making it visually distinct from most other crops. Its simple, four-petaled flowers are characteristic.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Before it was 'Canola,' this plant was called rapeseed, but its oil was too bitter to eat!
- Canola oil is the third most common cooking oil used around the entire world!
- One tiny canola seed can sprout and grow into a plant with thousands of flowers!
- The name 'Canola' means 'Canadian Oil, Low Acid' because it was developed in Canada!

## Special abilities

- **Oil Powerhouse:** Canola seeds can produce a high-quality, edible oil that helps it store energy for reproduction and makes it a valuable crop.
- **Rapid Growth Cycle:** Canola can grow quickly from seed to harvest, allowing farmers to fit it into short growing seasons.
- **Nutrient Sponge:** Canola has a strong root system that helps it efficiently take up water and nutrients from the soil.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 100-200 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.8-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring_summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees collect nectar and pollen
- **Eaten by:** diamondback moth (*Plutella xylostella*) — Larvae feed on leaves
- **Eaten by:** crucifer flea beetle (*Phyllotreta cruciferae*) — Beetles eat leaves and stems

## Traits

- [Oil Crop](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/oil-crop): This human use trait identifies species cultivated as oil crops, harvested for their seeds or fruits from which vegetable oils are extracted for food, fuel, or industrial uses.
- [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [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.
- [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:** 1/5 · Very low

Avoid touching or eating any plant in the wild unless an adult says it's safe.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Canola?

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 Canola?

100-200 cm

### How wide does Canola spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on Canola?

0.8-1.5 cm

### When does Canola bloom?

Spring_summer

### Is Canola edible?

Yes

### Is Canola toxic?

None

### What is Canola's lifecycle?

Annual

## 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: [Canola: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/canola)