Yellow Rocket, Bitter Wintercress, St. Barbara’s Herb, Herb Barbara, Wintercress, Bittercress, Rocketcress, Yellow Rocketcress, Wound Rocket, Creasy, Creecy, Creesy, Cressy Greens, Upland Cress

Barbarea vulgaris

(Barbarea vulgaris subsp. vulgaris)

bar-BAR-ree-uh  vul-GAIR-iss

Synonyms of Barbarea vulgaris (5) (Updated on 12-5-23 from Plants of the World Online): Barbarea barbarea MacMill. (1892)(not validly publ.), Campe barbarea (L.) W.Wight (1906), Campe vulgaris (R.Br.) Dulac (1867)(nom. illeg.), Crucifera barbaraea (L.) E.H.L.Krause (1902), Erysimum barbarea L. (1753)
Synonyms of Barbarea vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (51) (Updated on 12-5-23 from POWO): Arabis barbarea Bernh. (1800), Barbarea abortiva Hausskn. (1886), Barbarea altaica Andrz. ex Steud. (1840), Barbarea arcuata f. brachycarpa (Rouy & Foucaud) Kuusk (1973), Barbarea arcuata f. pubescens (Busch) Kuusk (1973), Barbarea arcuata var. pubescens N.Busch (1909), Barbarea augustana Boiss. (1843), Barbarea barbarea subsp. brachycarpa (Rouy & Foucaud) Piper (1915), Barbarea barbarea var. longisiliquosa (Carion) Farw. (1913), Barbarea ceretana Sennen (1926), Barbarea croatica Borbás & Vuk. (1888), Barbarea hirsuta Weihe (1830), Barbarea iberica (Willd.) DC. (1821), Barbarea intermedia var. pyrenaica (Jord.) Gaut. (1898), Barbarea intermedia proles pyrenaica (Jord.) Rouy & Foucaud (1893), Barbarea kayseri Schur (1853), Barbarea linnaei Spenn. (1829), Barbarea lyrata Asch. (1860), Barbarea macrophylla Halácsy (1900), Barbarea praecox var. vicina (Martrin-Donos) Rouy & Foucaud (1893),  Barbarea pyrenaica Jord. (1864), Barbarea rivularis Martrin-Donos (1864), Barbarea rupestris Steud. (1840), Barbarea sicula Gren. & Godr. (1847), Barbarea stolonifera Pomel (1874), Barbarea stricta Willk. (1851)(nom. illeg.), Barbarea sylvestris Jord. (1861), Barbarea vicina Martrin-Donos (1864), Barbarea vulgaris var. brachycarpa Rouy & Foucaud (1893), Barbarea vulgaris var. doellii Alef. (1866), Barbarea vulgaris lusus europaea Regel (1862), Barbarea vulgaris subvar. flore-pleno DC. (1821)(contrary to Art. 23.6. (ICN, 2012)), Barbarea vulgaris var. gracilis DC. (1821), Barbarea vulgaris f. hirsuta (Weihe) Fernald (1943), Barbarea vulgaris var. hirsuta (Weihe) Alef. (1866), Barbarea vulgaris var. longisiliquosa Carion (1865), Barbarea vulgaris var. macrophylla Halácsy (1894), Barbarea vulgaris f. plena Fernald (1943), Barbarea vulgaris subsp. pyrenaica (Jord.) Bonnier (1912), Barbarea vulgaris var. rivularis (Martrin-Donos) P.Fourn. (1936), Barbarea vulgaris subsp. rivularis (Martrin-Donos) Rothm. (1907), Barbarea vulgaris proles rivularis (Martrin-Donos) Rouy & Foucaud (1893), Barbarea vulgaris subsp. silvestris (Jord.) Bonnier (1912), Barbarea vulgaris f. stolonifera (Pomel) Maire (1967), Barbarea vulgaris var. sylvestris Fr. (unknown publication), Campe barbarea (Garsault) W.Wight (1906), Campe barbarea var. hirsuta (Weihe) House (1924), Campe rivularis (Martrin-Donos) A.Heller (1912), Eruca barbarea Lam. (1779), Erysimum lucidum Salisb. (1796), Erysimum lyratum Gilib. (1782)(opus utique oppr.), Erysimum lyrifolium Stokes (1812), Sisymbrium barbarea Crantz (1762)

Barbarea vulgaris W.T.Aiton is the accepted scientific name for the Yellow Rocket. The genus and species were named and described as such by William Townsend Aiton in the second edition of Hortus Kewensis in 1812.

Accepted Infraspecific Names (2): Barbarea vulgaris subsp. arcuata (Opiz ex J.Presl & C.Presl) Celak.,*Barbarea vulgaris subsp. vulgaris (autonym). *When an infraspecific taxon is named, an autonym (“type-specimen”) is automatically generated whose description is closest to the (original) species. All have their own list of synonyms… 

Some websites and databases have the scientific name written as Barbarea vulgaris R.Br. The link to IPNI states: “Although R. Brown is considered to have authored the Brassicaceae treatment in Hortus Kew. ed. 2 (see TL-2 Suppl. III: 141; Vienna Code Art. 46.7 Ex. 29).), W. T. Aiton, the publishing author, did not mention or indicate R. Brown’s name for Brassicaceae; therefore, W. T. Aiton is author of the Brassicaceae novelties in his work.” 

As of 12-5-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online by Kew lists 28 accepted species in the Barbarea genus. It is a member of the plant family Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) which includes 346 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

The above distribution map of Barbara vulgaris is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native and purple is where it has been introduced. The map on the USDA Plants Database for the United States and Canada is somewhat different. 

The genus gets its name from St. Barbara who is the patron saint of artillerymen. The plant was once used to soothe wounds caused by explosions.

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations. I post all my observations on iNaturalist.

THERE ARE A FEW LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND FOR A BETTER POSITIVE ID.

Barbara vulgaris is an introduced biennial wildflower that is found throughout Missouri and most of North America. They have the most impressive mass of yellow flowers of any wildflower on the farm. Even though there are A LOT of them, they haven’t formed large colonies, just a few plants here and there. They start blooming in April while the soil is still damp and have finished by early June or before. 

Barbara vulgaris has the potential to become invasive which you may have seen in yellow-covered pastures and fields in the spring. Ranunculus sardous (Hairy Buttercup) is another species with yellow flowers that can engulf overgrazed pastures during the same time period. Of course, their flowers are different, but from a distance you may mistake one for the other. It is recommended not to intentionally plant this species (like for a wildflower garden).

Several members of the plant family Brassicaceae look very similar from a distance. Not all have yellow flowers. Horseradish, for one, has white flowers. Some also have large edible roots.

Here on the farm, the Barbara vulgaris primarily grows in the northwest part of the main hayfield/pasture. It grows mostly in full sun, but part of this area gets a good bit of shade in the mid to late afternoon. The soil here is primarily fertile sandy-loam. In other areas of the country, it prefers average to rich loam to clay-loam in fairly moist conditions. It does not grow well in poor or dry soil. Some of its habitats include cropland, fallow fields, vacant lots, moist meadows, along roadsides and railroads… You get the picture. 

Barbara vulgaris seeds germinate in the fall and grow a basal rosette of leaves up to 12″ or s across. When just about everything else is dead or dormant, it’s good to see a touch of green.

Some of the terminal lobes of the basal leaves get quite large. The above two photos were taken on December 12, 2021.

Being a biennial species, its stems grow from the previous years rosette of basal leaves. Its stout ridged stems are glabrous (hairless) and can be light green to reddish purple. Plants can grow from single or multiple stems and they branch out at the upper half of the stems.

Basal and lower stem leaves are pinnately divided (lyrate-pinnatifid) with up to 4 pairs of lobes that are oval or obovate that encircle (clasp) the long petioles (leaf stems) with a much larger terminal lobe. They are a shiny dark green, hairless (glabrous), with wavy margins that sometimes have blunt teeth.

The leaves get smaller as they ascend the stems, the uppermost leaves being sessile (no petioles) and clasp the stems where secondary (flowering) stems emerge at the nodes.

I like the way the lobes encircle the petioles (leaf stems). Although their leaves are edible in the spring, they become somewhat bitter later.

Stems terminate with irregular compound panicles of yellow flowers with 4-angled pedicels. 

The above photo shows the first buds appearing on April 4, 2022.

The flowers consist of a green calyx with 4 erect linear greenish-yellow sepals, 4 yellow petals forming a short tube with outward spreading lips, 6 stamens (2 short and 4 long) with whitish-yellow filaments and yellow anthers, a pistil with a green ovary, a thick style, and a stigma. 

The flowers open from the bottom of the panicle upward. Once the flowers have been pollinated, they are replaced by  interesting pods called siliques that are around 1” long.

The above photo shows the flowers on the upper part of the panicle and siliques on the lower portion.

These siliques are connected to the stem by a short pedicel (obviously) and have a compressed beak at the tip and have a single row of 18-24 round and somewhat flattened brownish seeds. When dried, the silique splits open to disperse the seeds.

Bees and other insects feed on the nectar and pollen of the flowers and a few caterpillars feed on their leaves and flowers. Several beetle species also feed on their leaves.

There are more photos under the links below.  

I live on a small farm in Windsor, Missouri where I enjoy gardening, collecting plants, and identifying wildflowers. The farm is in Pettis County but Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away. I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be somewhat variable from location to location, so sometimes it gets a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and provide much more information. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. I would enjoy hearing from you.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
DAVE’S GARDEN
MISSOURI PLANTS
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
iNATURALIST
MINNESOTA WILDFLOWERS
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
PFAF (PLANTS FOR A FUTURE)
INVASIVE PLANT ATLAS
THE FRIENDS OF THE WILDFLOWER GARDEN

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂

MORE PHOTOS…

 

 

 

Looks like spring…