// SPECIES PROFILE · FOOD CROP · CULTIVATED

Arugula

Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa

Arugula (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa) is a cultivated annual food crop grown for its edible leaf, flower. Family: Brassicaceae (mustard family). Originally from Mediterranean. Grown as an annual in zones 2a–11a. Mature size 6"–18". Harvest in northeastern Oklahoma: Mar–May and Sep–Nov.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Brassicaceae (mustard family)
Group: crop · annual
Origin: Mediterranean · cultivated
USDA zones: Zones 2a–11a (as an annual)
Mature size: 6"–18"
Sun: Sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Edible parts: leaf, flower
Harvest (NE OK): Mar–May and Sep–Nov
Garden role: peppery salad green · 30-day crop · edible flowers once it bolts

Arugula (Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa) — *Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa* — Arugula. Photo by Unknown authorUnknown author via Wikimedia Commons (CC0).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Why it's on this list: peppery salad green · 30-day crop · edible flowers once it bolts. A cultivated food crop — not a native — grown alongside regional natives in Rooted Revival's kitchen-garden and food-forest designs. Harvest windows are for northeastern Oklahoma (USDA zone 7a).

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a kitchen garden or food-forest guild, arugula pairs well with: Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Spinach (Spinacia oleracea), Radish (Raphanus sativus), Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum).