Seasonal Wild Flowers

Eastern Rocket

Sisymbrium orientale

Brassicaceae

March to December

Found patchily throughout the country, but it is less common

in the far North.

See the BSBI distribution map for Eastern Rocket

Eastern Rocket is a neophyte which was first cultivated in the

UK in the late 1730s.

It has been known in the wild since the 1850s, and is found on

waste-ground and beside roads.

I have usually seen it growing in the crack formed between the

base of a wall and pavement.

It is on the increase.

Eastern Rocket is a sprawling, annual herb, growing up to 80cm.

Flowers are up to 9mm, yellow with 4 separated petals, which

are longer than the sepals.

There are 6 stamens with yellow anthers.

There is a long style with a large, slightly bilobed stigma.

Upper leaves are only slightly lobed, but lower leaves have

a long, rocket-shaped terminal lobe with 2 fin-shaped lobes

on either side at the base.

The seed pods (siliquae) are up to 10cm long and not closely

aligned with the stem.

Eastern Rocket at the base of a wall

Flower and pod with short style

Rocket-shaped, lobed leaf

Long seed pods