Hedge mustard
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Hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale) grows throughout Great Britain and elsewhere, being common on waste ground and roadsides – it is also found on arable land.
The plant grows up to 36 inches (90 centimetres) in height, forming rigid bristly stems from which leaves and flower-stems branch almost at right-angles. The leaf-stalks bear paired leaflets and a terminal leaf, the largest leaves growing near the base of the plant.
The yellow flowers, which appear from May to September, are small and partly enclosed by bristly sepals. New flowers grow at the end of the growing stem as seed-pods form below. The ribbed, hairy seed-pods overlap as they hug the stem closely.
Hedge mustard can be used in the same way as black mustard, with the seeds being ground into powder, but it is not as strongly flavoured and has traditionally been used to make a sauce to go with fish.
Infusions of hedge mustard have been used, especially in France, as a gargle to help the voices of actors and singers.
The plant grows up to 36 inches (90 centimetres) in height, forming rigid bristly stems from which leaves and flower-stems branch almost at right-angles. The leaf-stalks bear paired leaflets and a terminal leaf, the largest leaves growing near the base of the plant.
The yellow flowers, which appear from May to September, are small and partly enclosed by bristly sepals. New flowers grow at the end of the growing stem as seed-pods form below. The ribbed, hairy seed-pods overlap as they hug the stem closely.
Hedge mustard can be used in the same way as black mustard, with the seeds being ground into powder, but it is not as strongly flavoured and has traditionally been used to make a sauce to go with fish.
Infusions of hedge mustard have been used, especially in France, as a gargle to help the voices of actors and singers.
