Overview
Diplotaxis muralis is a slender annual or short-lived biennial of the cabbage family, growing 6-24 inches (15-60 cm) tall. Most of its lobed, toothed leaves form a basal rosette, leaving the branching flower stems nearly bare. The leaves give off a rank, peppery smell when crushed. From May to autumn it bears loose clusters of small four-petalled yellow flowers, each about 0.4 inch (10 mm) across, in the cross-shaped arrangement typical of the family. These are followed by slender, upright seed pods 0.6-1.5 inches (1.5-4 cm) long, held on short stalks and containing two rows of tiny seeds. Diplotaxis muralis colonises walls, pavements, railway ballast, waste ground, and other dry, disturbed, sunny places, flowering over a long season. It is a pioneer of bare mineral ground and seldom persists once taller vegetation closes in. Native to southern and central Europe, it has spread widely as a weed of urban and cultivated land. Its weedy habit and short life limit its garden use.
Native Range
Native to southern and central Europe and the Mediterranean, now naturalised across much of northern Europe, North America, and other temperate regions, where it grows on walls, waste ground, and other dry, disturbed sites.Suggested Uses
Occasionally grown in gravel gardens, green roofs, and crevice plantings that suit dry, mineral conditions, and used as a pollinator plant on poor ground. Its long flowering season feeds small insects. It is broadcast as seed rather than planted in arranged groups.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6" - 2'
Width/Spread6" - 1'
Bloom Information
Flowering extends from May into autumn, with fresh yellow flowers opening as earlier ones set pods. The flowers draw small bees, hoverflies, and other insects. The long season and steady seed set allow several overlapping generations in mild conditions.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Drought Tolerance
Drought tolerant when established
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Annual wall-rocket grows in full sun on dry, free-draining, often stony or alkaline soils, including the mortar of old walls. It needs little water and tolerates poor, compacted, and disturbed ground where few other plants establish. Seed germinates over a long period and is sown on the surface, as light aids germination. The plant needs no feeding and completes its cycle quickly, often within a few months. It self-seeds freely and can become weedy on open ground. Removing plants before the pods ripen is the main way to limit its spread.Pruning
No pruning is required for this short-lived plant. Cutting or pulling plants before the pods ripen limits self-seeding. Otherwise they are left to die back after flowering.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons
✓ Toxicity
Non-toxicPlanting Guide
Planting Methods & Timing
Planting Method
direct sow
Direct Sow Timing
Spring or autumn
Plant Spacing
8 inches