American yellowrocket, Garden Yellowrocket
Barbarea orthoceras

Family: Brassicaceae

What it is like

A cabbage family herb. It grows up to 60 cm tall. It takes 2 years to complete its life cycle. The stems are simple and unbranched. The leaves near the base have 2-4 small lobes and one large lobe. The leaves on the stem are alternate. The flowers are small and have 4 yellow petals. The flowers are in clusters in the axils of the upper leaves. The fruit is a narrow pod p to 5 cm long.

There are 12 Barbarea species.

Where it is found

It is a cold temperate plant. It grows in open grasslands, scree, temperate mixed forests, river and stream-sides, moist grassy slopes between 400–2100 m altitude in China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Alaska, Asia, China, Europe, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mediterranean, Mongolia, Netherlands, North America, Russia, Slovenia, Taiwan, USA

How it is used for food

The young leaves in early spring are picked and eaten as a mixed salad. They can also be cooked and eaten as a green vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Barbica, roža sv. Barbare, Land Cress, Shan jie, Small-flowered Winter-cress, Wintercress, Winter-cress, Winter Kresse

Synonyms

Barbarea americana Rydberg; Barbarea cochlearifolia H. Bois-sieu; Barbarea hondoensis Nakai; Barbarea orthoceras var. formosana Kita-mura; Barbarea patens H. Boissieu; Barbarea vulgaris R. Brown var. ortho-ceras (Ledebour) Regel