Field Mustard (Brassica rapa L.)
↑Summary
Native to Europe and Asia, and introduced in North America, where it is widely cultivated, and also has established scattered wild populations across the continent and is a common plant in some regions. This is the species grown for turnips, napa cabbage, bok choy, and canola oil. It is also a common weed both in gardens and commercial agriculture.
↑Range - Expand
| Legend | Color |
| Introduced | |
| Introduced or Not Present |
This tentative map is based on our own research. It may have limited data on Canada and/or Mexico, and there is some subjectivity in our assignment of plants as introduced vs. expanded. Read more in this blog post.
Although this plant occurs somewhere in each of these regions, it may only occur in a small part of some or all of them.
↑Habitat
Mostly found on open, disturbed ground in anthropogenic habitats, including agriculture, gardens, roadsides and railways.
↑Life Cycle
Grows opportunistically as an annual or occasionally a biennial, often growing as a winter annual but also can grow as a summer annual. Plants sprout from seed both in spring and fall, and quickly establish a taproot. Plants established in the fall overwinter as a basal rosette and then bolt upwards in spring; plants sprouting in the spring grow upwards immediately.
Flowering dates vary by conditions, usually from mid spring to early fall. Plants die after setting seed.
This plant relies on disturbance to remove competion, and populations are usually short-lived if an area is allowed to grow up with other vegetation.
↑Uses
Brassica rapa is a major food plant, and it has been cultivated in numerous different ways, both as a vegetable and oil seed crop. As a species, it encompasses as diverse vegetables as turnip, napa cabbage, and bok choy, and it is also used to produce canola oil.
↑Links & External Resources
• Brassica rapa (Rape Mustard) | Illinois Wildflowers (About This Site)
• Brassica rapa (Field Mustard) | USDA PLANTS Database (About This Site)
• Brassica rapa | Go Botany (About This Site)
• Field Mustard | iNaturalist (About This Site)
• Brassica rapa (field mustard) | CABI Invasive Species Compendium (About This Site)
• Brassica rapa | Biota of North America Project (BONAP) (About This Site)
• Brassica rapa | NatureServe Explorer (About This Site)
• Brassica rapa | Flora of North America (About This Site)
• Field Mustard | Maryland Biodiversity Project (About This Site)
• Brassica rapa (Field Mustard) | Minnesota Wildflowers (About This Site)
• Brassica rapa Linnaeus (Turnip, Bird's Rape, Field Rape, Field Mustard) | Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora (About This Site)
