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Brassica nigra
Black mustard
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Cultivation |
Propagation |
General Info
Medicinal |
Edible Uses |
Flowers & Foliage |
Landscaping
Latin Name: Brassica nigra
Synonyms: Sinapis nigra.
Common Name: Black mustard
Family: Cruciferae(Click to Search)
Author: (L.)Koch.
Known Hazards: When eaten in large quantities, the seed and pods have sometimes proved toxic to grazing animals[85].
Habitat: Cliffs near the sea in S. W. England[17].
Mature Height: 1.2
Mature Width: 0.6
Habit: Annual
Cultivation Notes: Succeeds in full sun in a well-drained fertile preferably alkaline soil[200]. Succeeds in any reasonable soil. Prefers a heavy soil in an open position[16]. Another report says that it prefers a light well-drained soil and some shade in the summer[52]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.2 to 7.8.
Black mustard is often cultivated for its edible seed. This is used especially as a food flavouring, though it is also sown with the seeds of garden cress (Lepidium sativum) to provide mustard and cress, a salading eaten when the seedlings are about one week old. Black mustard is also grown as a medicinal plant. It germinates freely and quickly grows rapidly and makes a very useful green manure. The plants are not very winter hardy so the seed is best sown in the spring when grown for its seed whilst it can be sown as late as late summer as a green manure crop.
The flowers have a pleasing perfume, though this is only noticed if several flowers are inhaled at the same time[245].
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