Mustard
Brassica cretica
Family: Brassicaceae or Cruciferae
What it is like
Brassica cretica is a PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
Rocks, usually near sea-level, in Turkey.
South-eastern Europe to western Asia.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
The young shoots are used as a vegetable in Greece.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of this country. It is a polymorphic species and is closely related to the wild cabbage, B. oleracea. It has, in the past, been cultivated as a food plant. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 0-0
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist