Wintercress Barbarea orthoceras
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- bar-BAR-ree-uh or-tho-SAIR-as
- Description
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American Yellow Rocket is a biennial or short-lived pernnial herb in the mustard family found in wetland or riparian areas or forests western North America and Asia. It has bright golden yellow flowers and erect slender green seed pods.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:


- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Barbarea
- Species:
- orthoceras
- Family:
- Brassicaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Biennial
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Asia, subarctic America
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil Drainage:
- Moist
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Green
- Fruit Description:
- Slender erect pods with many tiny oval oblong seeds
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- 1/4" wide 4 petaled yellow flowers found in rounded to cylindrical groups in leaf axils reaching 1 1/2" across. 4 green-yellow sepals surround the flower. Flowers form from the tip and continue flowering from May-July.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Rosulate
- Leaf Margin:
- Dentate
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Basal, alternate leaves are deeply lobed with a deep tip lobe and 1-4 pairs of smaller lobes along the petiole. The margin can be lobed or with a few coarse teeth. Basal leaves can be up to 2 1/2" long and up to 1" wide but they get smaller as they ascend the stem.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Angular
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Purple-green streaks or stripes single or multiple from the base of the plant, smooth, ridged or angled.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Rock Garden
- Problems:
- Problem for Horses