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Summer rape Brassica napus (Oleifera Group)

Other Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
BRAS-sick-ah NAY-pus oh-lay-IF-er-rah Group
Description

Rapeseed is an annual to biannual grown for forage for livestock feed and as a source of rapeseed oil for use as an illuminant, lubricant and for making soaps. It is a commercially grown plant and is the 3rd largest source of vegetable oil in the world but can escape into the wild and become weedy.  The genus name Brassica is Latin for cabbage.

This plant prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils in full sun. Not generally grown in the home garden.

Potential Problems: powdery mildew, clubroot, anthracnose, root-knot and leaf spot. Insect problems can include aphids, cutworms, loopers, flea beetles, root maggots and wireworms.

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#biennial#yellow flowers#nectar plant#vegetable#pollinator plant#naturalized area#annual#weed
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#biennial#yellow flowers#nectar plant#vegetable#pollinator plant#naturalized area#annual#weed
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Brassica
    Species:
    napus
    Family:
    Brassicaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    Used in herbal medicine
    Life Cycle:
    Annual
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Seed
    Wildlife Value:
    Bees are attracted to the flowers
    Edibility:
    The young leaves are edible raw or cooked
    Dimensions:
    Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Annual
    Vegetable
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Texture:
    Medium
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    High Organic Matter
    Loam (Silt)
    Soil pH:
    Neutral (6.0-8.0)
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Moist
  • Fruit:
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Fruit Type:
    Siliqua
    Fruit Description:
    sickle-shaped seed pods that dry and split when ripe.
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Raceme
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Spring
    Summer
    Flower Petals:
    4-5 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    1/2 inch yellow flowers with 4 petals and alternating sepals in racemes. Blooms May to Sept. if seeds were sown the fall before.
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Smooth
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Alternate
    Leaf Shape:
    Lanceolate
    Pinnatifid
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Lobed
    Hairs Present:
    Yes
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    The leaves are glaucous, the lower ones lyrate-pinnatifid or lobed, with petioles 4-10 inches long, glabrous or with a few bristly hairs. The upper stem leaves are lanceolate, sessile, clasping and more or less entire. Leaves are up to 20 inches long.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Purple/Lavender
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Surface:
    Smooth (glabrous)
    Stem Description:
    Erect branched stems are green with purple toward the base
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Naturalized Area