Leaf
Genevieve Botti, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Rocket
Eruca sativa Mill.
Also known as: Salad rocket, Arugula
Family: Brassicaceae
20 to 60 cm tall
Cultivated in vegetable gardens; sometimes self-sown on waste ground and along tracks
Flowering: April – June
Full sun
Fairly hardy, withstands light frosts
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
The peppery, pungent flavour of rocket comes from sulphur compounds (glucosinolates), the same ones that give mustard and horseradish their heat — all of the same botanical family.
🍃 Leaves
Pinnately lobed, toothed, bright green, with a characteristic peppery flavour
🌸 Flowers
Cream-white veined with violet, with 4 petals in a cross
🍎 Fruits
Elongated siliqua with a pointed beak
🪵 Bark
Erect, branched herbaceous stem
🗺️ Distribution
Native to the Mediterranean basin; cultivated throughout France
🐝 Value for pollinators
Nectar-rich flowers, visited by many insects
✂️ Horticultural uses
Fast-growing salad crop with a peppery flavour, grown all year round in a mild climate
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity — edible leaves
🌿 Other Brassicaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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