Annual Wall-Rocket is a
non-native
annual plant of the UK, typically found growing in walls, rocky places and waste ground, to a mature height of up to 60cm.
Annual Wall-Rocket gets its name from its habit of growing on walls and the derivation of 'rocket' from the Latin 'eruca', signifying a plant in the cabbage family. An alternative common name for Annual Wall-Rocket is 'Stinkweed', because its leaves when crushed give off a bad odour. Despite this, the young leaves of the plant are sometimes used as a substitute for Rocket in salads. Annual Wall-Rocket was introduced to the UK in the 18th Century, thought to be imported accidentally with oat seed.
Botanic classification and naming: Annual Wall-Rocket is a member of the Cabbage (Brassicaceae) family. The genus name
'Diplotaxis' identifies the plant as a Wall-Rocket and its species name 'muralis' means 'wall-growing plant'.
Benefits: Annual Wall Rocket is sometimes grown as a crop, and then ploughed in, to fertilise the soil.
Benefits to wildlife are also indicated with orange icons in the plant profile bar at the top.
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