Arugula

Growing Conditions

Growing Zones

Thrives in USDA Zones 3 - 10

Companion Planting

When to Plant

• Direct Sow

  3 - 5 weeks before last frost; succession sow every 2 weeks

• Harvest

  35 - 45 days; pick leaves before flowers appear for best flavour

Organic Growing Tips

• Cover with fine mesh or row fabric to exclude flea beetles, which riddle leaves with tiny holes.

• Grow in partial shade during summer to extend the season and delay bolting.

• Allow a few plants to flower and set seed for a self-sustaining, low-maintenance patch.

• Sow into beds enriched with compost and mulch immediately after germination — arugula grown in biologically active, moisture-retentive soil produces more tender, less bitter leaves and bolts later than plants in bare ground.

Common Pests

• Flea Beetle
• Aphids
• Slugs
• Cabbage White Caterpillar

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Family

Mustard family (Brassicaceae)

Genus

Eruca

Species

Eruca vesicaria

Natural History

Arugula, also known as rocket, is native to the Mediterranean basin and western Asia, where it grows wild in dry, stony ground from Morocco to Syria. It belongs to the mustard family and shares the peppery glucosinolates that characterise that group - the same compounds that give mustard, radish, and watercress their bite. The Romans cultivated it extensively; it appears by name in the writings of Virgil, Columella, and Pliny the Elder, who valued it as a pungent table green. Medieval European monastery gardens carried the tradition forward, and by the Renaissance it was a common kitchen green across southern Europe. Its popularity fell sharply through much of the 20th century in Britain and North America before a strong revival in the 1980s and 1990s, when it became closely associated with Italian-influenced restaurant cooking. A close relative, wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia), is a separate species with narrower, more deeply cut leaves and a more persistent heat - the two are often sold interchangeably but are botanically distinct.

Traditional Use

Arugula has been a kitchen green in Mediterranean cultures for over two thousand years, with documented use in ancient Roman cooking and through medieval and Renaissance food traditions. Its culinary role has always centred on its sharp peppery bite - used raw in salads, scattered over cooked dishes, or wilted briefly as a bitter green.

• Ancient Roman Culinary Traditions - Leaves

  Arugula appears in Roman agricultural and culinary texts including Columella's De Re Rustica and Pliny's Naturalis Historia. Virgil mentions it in the Moretum - a poem describing the preparation of a herb and vegetable paste that is one of the earliest documented salad recipes in Western literature. It was grown commonly in Roman kitchen gardens and used as a pungent counterpoint to milder leaves.

• Italian Regional Traditions - Leaves

  In southern Italy, particularly Puglia and Campania, arugula holds a distinct place in regional cooking that long predates its international popularity. Raw leaves are laid over hot pizza fresh from the oven, dressed with lemon and olive oil, or paired with orecchiette pasta and cured meats. The tradition treats it as an intense flavoring green used for its sharpness rather than as a base leaf.

• Medieval Monastery and Kitchen Garden Traditions - Leaves and seeds

  Arugula featured in medieval European herb lists and monastery garden records as a kitchen green valued for its strong flavor. It was grown alongside sorrel, purslane, and chicory as part of the bitter greens tradition common in pre-modern European cooking, where strong flavors were associated with stimulating appetite and digestion.

• South Asian Taramira Oil Tradition - Seeds

  In Pakistan and northwest India, arugula seeds are cold-pressed to produce taramira oil (also called jamba or tara oil), a strongly flavored cooking and condiment oil. This tradition is largely independent of Mediterranean culinary use and represents a distinct regional history for the same plant.

Arugula leaves and flowers are food-safe in any culinary quantity. The seeds are edible and used traditionally for oil production but have a sharp, bitter taste and are not eaten whole in most culinary traditions.

This information is provided for historical and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making decisions related to your health.

Morphology (Plant Structure & Identification)

• Root System

  Fine taproot with shallow feeder roots, suited to quick growth in cool soil. Plants need even moisture for tender leaves.

• Stem

  Low rosette at first, then a branching flower stalk as plants bolt. Stems elongate rapidly in heat.

• Leaves

  Deeply lobed green leaves with a peppery scent and flavor. Young leaves are tender; older leaves become stronger and more fibrous.

• Flowers

  Small cream to white four-petaled flowers with dark veins. Flowers are edible and attract small pollinators.

• Fruit

  Produces narrow seed pods after flowering. The harvested crop is usually young leaves, though flowers and pods can also be used culinarily.

Known Varieties

Common cultivars worth knowing

• Astro

  Fast-growing arugula with milder flavor and less deeply cut leaves.

  Best for: baby leaf

• Sylvetta

  Wild arugula type with narrow leaves and stronger peppery flavor.

  Best for: intense flavor, perennial tendency

• Runway

  Uniform cultivated arugula with upright growth for easy cutting.

  Best for: salad mixes

• Wasabi

  Very pungent type with sharp heat and narrow leaves.

  Best for: spicy greens

• Dragon's Tongue

  Oakleaf arugula with red veins and strong visual appeal.

  Best for: colorful salads