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Hirschfeldia incana

shortpod mustard

Brassicaceae Mediterranean Basin

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 7–10

Overview

Hirschfeldia incana is a short-lived perennial or biennial in the mustard family, forming a basal rosette of lobed, gray-hairy leaves and sending up branched flowering stems 1.5-5 feet (0.5-1.5 m) tall. The lower leaves are deeply lobed with a large end lobe and rough, grayish hairs, while the upper stem is more sparsely leafy. From spring through fall it carries open clusters of small four-petalled yellow flowers about 0.3 inch (6-8 mm) across at the branch tips. The flowers form short seed pods 0.3-0.6 inch (8-15 mm) long that lie pressed close against the stem, each tipped with a short beak holding one or two seeds. Hirschfeldia incana regrows from a woody base and flowers over a long season, producing large amounts of seed. Native to the Mediterranean, it has become an aggressive weed of roadsides, fields, and disturbed land in California, Australia, and other warm-temperate regions. It grows readily in dry, poor soils and outcompetes native plants, which makes it a target of control efforts rather than a garden plant.

Native Range

Hirschfeldia incana is native to the Mediterranean Basin and parts of western Europe and North Africa. It has naturalized as a weed in California, South America, Australia, and southern Africa, growing on roadsides, in fields, and on disturbed, dry ground.

Suggested Uses

Not grown deliberately; it is managed as an invasive weed across much of its introduced range. The young leaves are edible and have been used as a cooked green in its native region. Its flowers give some nectar and pollen to insects in disturbed habitats.

How to Identify

The plant grows from a rosette of rough, gray-hairy, lobed leaves into a tall, branched stalk topped with small yellow four-petalled flowers. The key feature is the short seed pods that press flat against the stem, each ending in a stout beak. Appressed, short-beaked pods and a grayish, hairy rosette separate it from wild radish and other yellow mustards.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1'6" - 5'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~30 weeks

Spring Summer Fall

Flowering extends over a long season from spring through fall, often March to November in mild climates, with peaks in spring and early summer. The small yellow flowers draw bees and other insects. Seed pods ripen continuously, so flowering and seeding overlap for months.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

gray-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

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

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand clay rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Hirschfeldia incana grows in full sun on dry, poor, or disturbed soils across a pH range of about 6.0-8.0 and tolerates drought once rooted. It germinates with fall and winter rains, builds a rosette, and bolts to flower in spring. As an invasive weed it is controlled by removing the rosette and woody base before seed sets, since cut plants resprout from the crown. It needs no feeding or irrigation and spreads on its own by abundant seed. It is hardy in roughly USDA zones 7-10 as a cool-season grower. Repeated control over several seasons is usually needed to deplete the seedbank.

Pruning

No pruning is practiced on this weed. For control, the flowering stems and crown are cut or dug out before pods ripen. Cutting alone often prompts regrowth from the woody base, so repeated removal is needed.