# field mustard (*Brassica rapa*) Field mustard is a bright yellow flower that grows in fields and gardens. It has small, pretty flowers and is loved by bees and butterflies! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![field mustard](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Malselvneper.JPG&width=800) Photo: Osopolar, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malselvneper.JPG) ## Appearance The field mustard has slender green stems that can be smooth or slightly hairy, supporting bright clusters of small, four-petaled yellow flowers. Its lower leaves are deeply lobed and often hairy, differing from the smoother, stem-clasping upper leaves. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Brassicales - **Family:** Brassicaceae - **Genus:** Brassica ## Interesting facts - Did you know the plant that gives us turnips, bok choy, and rapeseed oil is a type of field mustard? - Honeybees absolutely love its bright yellow flowers, buzzing around to collect its sweet nectar. - Its tiny seeds can stay alive in the soil for decades, waiting for the perfect time to sprout! - Some field mustard plants can grow taller than a kid, reaching over three feet high! ## Special abilities - **Rapid Responder:** Field mustard can grow very quickly and produce many seeds, which helps it colonize disturbed areas like fields and roadsides fast. - **Chemical Guard:** Field mustard has special compounds called mustard oils that give it a peppery taste, helping to deter some hungry animals from eating it. - **Seed Powerhouse:** Field mustard produces thousands of tiny seeds per plant, ensuring that many more can grow the next year. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-100 cm - **Spread:** 15-45 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen from flowers - **Eaten by:** small cabbage white butterfly (*Pieris rapae*) — caterpillars feed on its leaves - **Eaten by:** [European rabbit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/european-rabbit) (*Oryctolagus cuniculus*) — grazes on the leaves and stems ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [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 Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always check with an adult before picking any plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify field mustard? 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 field mustard? 30-100 cm ### How wide does field mustard spread? 15-45 cm ### How big are the flowers on field mustard? 0.5-1.5 cm ### When does field mustard bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is field mustard edible? Yes ### Is field mustard toxic? None ### What is field mustard's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Downtown Cumberland Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/downtown-cumberland-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District ## 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*) --- Source: [Field Mustard: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-mustard)