Horseradish Armoracia rusticana

Horseradish is a herbaceous perennial in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) brought to the US by colonists and  is native to Eastern Europe and Western Asia.

This plant can grow 2-5 feet tall and 2-4 feet wide in full sun in amended well-drained moist garden soil. Lighter soils will make harvesting easier. It prefers cool summer areas and is grown during the summer for a fall crop. After the first frost when the leaves die, the root is dug up and the main root harvested. One or more side roots can either be replanted or stored until spring. If left unharvested the plant will spread by underground roots and become weedy forming colonies. They can be difficult to eradicate.

The large leaves grow in a rosette and resemble docks, The four-petaled white flowers are in dense clusters during the summer. The root is a thick rhizome and is harvested for spices.

As a vegetable, it is grown for its fleshy roots that are harvested and grated to make relish, sauces, and seasonings. They have a hot, bitter taste that comes from mustard oils that are released when the plant cells are cut or damaged. The leaves are edible but rarely used.

Use this plant in the edible garden.

Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems:  It can be weedy if uncontroled. The smallest piece left in the soil can take root and grow into another plant.  The leaves are occasionally eaten by cabbageworm larvae, mustard leaf beetles and flea beetles.