Bunias orientalis Turkish Rocket PFAF Plant Database

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Bunias orientalis - L.

Common Name

Turkish Rocket

Family

Brassicaceae or Cruciferae

Synonyms

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

A weed of cultivated and waste ground[50, 200].

Range

N. America. Europe - Caucasus, S. Russia. Naturalized in Britain[17].

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

Bunias orientalis is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.9 m (3ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in).
It is hardy to zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from Jul to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies, self.The plant is self-fertile.

Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:202_Bunias_orientalis.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Don_Pedro28

Habitats
Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves.
Edible Uses:

Leaves and young stems - raw or cooked[17, 61, 105, 177, 183]. The young leaves have a mild cabbage flavour that goes very well in a mixed salad, though some people find them indigestible[K]. The leaves are a bit hairy so we find them less than wonderful when eaten raw on their own[K]. The cooked leaves make an excellent vegetable[K]. The leaves are available early in the year, usually towards the end of winter, and the plant will continue to produce leaves until late autumn, with a bit of a gap when the plant is in flower[27, K]. Flower buds and flowering stems - raw or cooked[264]. A pleasant mild flavour with a delicate sweetness and cabbage-like flavour, they make an excellent broccoli substitute though they are rather smaller[K].

Medicinal Uses
Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally. None known

Other Uses
None known

Cultivation details

A very easily grown plant, it succeeds in any soil in a sunny position[1, 200]. Plants have also been seen growing exceedingly well in the dappled shade of a woodland garden[K]. Plants are quite tolerant of neglect, growing well amongst long grass on our Cornish trial ground[K]. The young spring growth can be quite badly damaged by slugs, though more mature plants grow away so quickly that this does not seem to be a problem[K].

Propagation

Seed - sow April in a cold frame. Germination is usually very quick and good. Prick out the seedlings into pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer. The seed can also be sown in situ in the spring, though the seedlings are rather prone to slug damage[K]. Division in spring. Quick and easy. Root cuttings 2 - 5cm in length succeed at any time during the growing season, though early spring as the plant comes into growth is best[K]. If the top 7 - 10cm of the plant is removed to supply root cuttings and divisions, the roots remaining in the soil usually regrow very quickly[K].

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Expert comment

Author
L.

Botanical References
50200

Links / References

[K] Ken Fern Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[17]Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles.

A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[27]Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden.

A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.

[50]? Flora Europaea

An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.

Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[105]Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World.

The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[177]Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption.

An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183]Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants.

Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[264]Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Vegetables

Excellent and easily read book with good information and an excellent collection of photos of vegetables from around the world, including many unusual species.

Readers comment

Elizabeth H.
Klaus Dichtel	Sat Sep 4 13:50:06 2004

Hi, just come back from the pfaf-garden in Cornwall. I ate quite a lot turkish rocket. Ken writes above:"The young leaves have a mild cabbage flavour that goes very well in a mixed salad, though some people find them indigestible[K]" - well, at first they are HOT. That differs from plant to plant but some are so hot that a 5cmÂ²-part of a leaf is enough to give a mustardlike, hot flavour to the whole meal. When the leaf is cooked, the sharpness is gone.

Elizabeth H.
bassem fahmy	Mon Aug 9 07:07:32 2004

Link: magi tours We are one of the leading Travel Agencies in Egypt, Hotel & Nile Cruise Reservation, Tour packages, Classic Trips to Cairo, Sharm, Hurghada, Aswan, Luxor and many more places, come in and have a look.

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