# Hedge mustard (*Sisymbrium officinale*)

Hedge mustard is a little yellow flower that grows in fields and along roadsides. It has bright yellow petals and can be found in many places, making it a cheerful sight in nature!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Urban areas

![Hedge mustard](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Gewone_raket_R0011613.jpg&width=800)

Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gewone_raket_R0011613.jpg)

## Appearance

The Hedge mustard is a common plant with tough, slender stems reaching up to 80cm tall. It displays numerous tiny, bright yellow, four-petaled flowers clustered in long spikes. Its basal leaves are deeply lobed and somewhat hairy, making them visually distinctive.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Greeks believed it could help soothe a lost or strained voice!
- Its seeds were once ground up and used like a zesty, wild mustard spice!
- This plant is a cousin to yummy broccoli and spicy horseradish!
- You can munch on its young leaves, which taste like peppery rocket!

## Special abilities

- **Sticky Seed Hitchhiker:** Hedge mustard's tiny seeds develop a sticky coating, helping them catch a ride on animals or clothes to spread far and wide!
- **Voice Soother:** Traditionally, people believed Hedge mustard could soothe sore throats, helping singers recover their voices.
- **Urban Survivor:** Hedge mustard can thrive in tough places like disturbed soil, roadsides, and even cracks in pavement, making it super resilient!

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-80 cm
- **Spread:** 15-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to late autumn
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Annual
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Eaten by:** Small white butterfly (*Pieris rapae*) — caterpillars munch on leaves
- **Eaten by:** [House sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — feasts on its seeds

## 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.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [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.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.
- [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

Always ask an adult before touching or tasting any plants.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Hedge 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 Hedge mustard?

30-80 cm

### How wide does Hedge mustard spread?

15-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Hedge mustard?

0.3-0.5 cm

### When does Hedge mustard bloom?

Late spring to late autumn

### Is Hedge mustard edible?

Yes

### Is Hedge mustard toxic?

None

### What is Hedge mustard's lifecycle?

Annual

## Where to spot

- [Fairhaven](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fairhaven) — Washington, US · Neighborhood

## 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: [Hedge mustard: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/hedge-mustard)