Hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale) is a plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is found on roadsides and wasteland, and as a weed of arable land. A native of Europe and North Africa, it is now well-established throughout the world.
It is distinct from the Mustard plants which belong to the genus Brassica.
The Hedge-mustard is food for the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera, such as the Small White (Pieris rapae).
This plant is widely cultivated ac...
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Hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale) is a plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is found on roadsides and wasteland, and as a weed of arable land. A native of Europe and North Africa, it is now well-established throughout the world.
It is distinct from the Mustard plants which belong to the genus Brassica.
The Hedge-mustard is food for the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera, such as the Small White (Pieris rapae).
This plant is widely cultivated across Europe for its edible leaves and seeds. It is widely used as a condiment in Northern Europe (particularly Denmark, Norway and Germany).
The leaves have a bitter cabbage-like flavour and they are used either in salads or cooked as a pot herb (in cultivar versions). The seeds have been used to make mustard pastes in Europe.
The Greeks believed it was an antidote to all poisons. In folk medicine, it was used to soothe sore throats - indeed one name for it is singer's plant. Herbalists use the juice and flowers for bronchitis and stomach...
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