Rocket (arugula)
Eruca sativa
Botanical family: Brassicaceae
Eruca sativa (cultivated rocket) and Diplotaxis tenuifolia (wild rocket, perennial and more pungent), aromatic Brassicaceae. Peppery-flavoured leaves, eaten raw in salad. Sources: Tela Botanica, “Eruca sativa Mill.” and “Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC.” (Coste's flora); Plants For A Future, “Eruca vesicaria” and “Diplotaxis tenuifolia”.
Sun, partial shade in summer (it bolts quickly in the heat)
Ordinary, cool
Regular to avoid premature bolting
Hardy, can be grown almost all year round
Overwinters in your zone
Role in permaculture
A pungent salad with very fast growth (ready in a few weeks), ideal for occupying a free spot between two crops or as an intercrop. Left to bolt, its flowers are nectar-bearing and attract beneficial hoverflies. Like all Brassicaceae, sensitive to flea beetles and clubroot, to be integrated into the cabbage rotation.
Good companions
Poor companions
Same family: shared diseases and pests
Known pests & diseases
Pests and diseases that commonly affect this plant, tap to learn how to recognise and manage them.
Seasons & availability
A peppery, fast-growing salad leaf, picked from spring to autumn.
Available: April, May, June, July, August, September, October.
Guidance for the oceanic / temperate climate; it may vary with your region, altitude, exposure and growing method.
Sources
- RHS, « How to Grow Rocket » (rhs.org.uk/vegetables/rocket/grow-your-own)
- La Ferme de Sainte Marthe, « Réussir la culture de la roquette » (fermedesaintemarthe.com/en/blogs/comment-reussir-la-culture-de/reussir-la-culture-de-la-roquette)
Nutritional & medicinal properties
For educational purposes. Not a substitute for medical advice. Effects depend on the form, the dose and personal context.
Precautions & contraindications
Like lamb's lettuce and other young shoots, rocket is among the leafy vegetables most concentrated in nitrates: a good wash and a varied diet are enough, with no risk at usual amounts.
Family behaviour: Brassicaceae
In general, Brassicaceae produce glucosinolates, sulphur compounds with a mild biocidal effect on the soil (a biofumigant effect, sometimes sought between two sensitive crops). Members of the cabbage and mustard family, they are prone to the cabbage white and clubroot.
Understanding families means learning one rule per family rather than every pairing one by one. Learn more →
Species & varieties
The best-known species and varieties in France.