The Urban Pantheist

Urban species #122: Early yellowrocket Barbarea verna

The mustard family, Brassicaea, is disproportionately represented among urban plants. Perhaps this is because its members do not form mycorrhizal relationships (a beneficial, but time-consuming symbiotic relationship with fungi). Or perhaps deliberate introductions are to blame. After all, Eurasian plants in this family are some of the most common greens and vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi (I cheated; those first six are all varieties of a single species) horseradish, mustard, water cress, and turnip are the least obscure. Many weedy species, favored for their ease of cultivation (they're weeds) have been brought to North America for their greens, seeds, or roots. To the list we have been compiling, which includes shepherd's purse and garlic mustard, we can add early yellowrocket.

Early yellowrocket is closely related to wintercress, and it is random chance that I encountered one for this project before the other. At a distance I called, "Look, a wild mustard!" but it took some work to pin it down to species. Its flowers are typical of a mustard, four small petals in a cross formation, but unlike the two species listed so far these are yellow, not white. This individual was found growing alone, surrounded by dandelions and cinquefoil, but apparently can be found in profusion. Various states list various Barbareas as invasives, but are generally given less dire status than some others.

( four close-ups )