Characteristics, uses and care of Diplotaxis erucoides

Erucoid diplomaxis

Today we are going to talk about a plant that is naturally found in the fields of Murcia both at medium and low levels. It’s about radish. Its scientific name is Erucoid diplomaxis and it is known by other common names as edge caterpillar. It is a plant with a not very large size and preferably white in color that covers the soils of the fields when spring arrives.

In this article we are going to tell you all its characteristics, where you can find it and how to take care of it if you want to have it in the garden.

Key features

Detail of the Dipltaxis erucoides

It is an annual herb that, in its best conditions it can grow to about 80 cm tall. The stems are erect and covered with rather short hairs. This sum of dense hairs gives it a fluffy texture that is pleasant to the touch. The leaves are of the pinnatifid to pinnatipartite type. Its lobes are elliptical or oblong.

When it blooms, we find it with 4 petals 1 cm long and white. When they dry, they acquire a purplish tone. This will give us a new color as the flowers wither and dry after the flowering season. As for its fruit, it is of the silique type and has an elongated shape. It is usually about 4 cm.

It is usually considered a weed by agriculture. By growing naturally in the fields, they take advantage of the nutrients that they discharge in the agricultural processes. When this plant grows near the crops, it must be eliminated so that it does not steal nutrients and invade the ground little by little. It has a fairly large expansion power.

The time in which it blooms is in late winter and early spring. Higher temperatures favor its development and the flowers will last until late summer. These flowers are hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, and tetrameric. Although the flowering occurs mainly in the mentioned season, if there are heavy rains and pleasant temperatures, it can bloom at any time of the year. This is one of the reasons why it is considered a weed, since it does not need many conditions to multiply.

Habitat and distribution

Small flowers of radish

This plant is a Mediterranean species and we can find it widely distributed. The area in which it is most scarce on the Peninsula is to the northwest and in Portugal. It is a plant that frequently inhabits vacant lots, the edges of roads and even on crops as weeds.

The Iberian Peninsula is not the only place where it is distributed. We can also find it throughout the Mediterranean region of Europe where the somewhat higher temperatures of spring allow it to spread through orchards, grasslands, rustic environments, roadsides and gutters.. It is not a very popular plant in gardens.although there are people who want to have it as a background garden. In its care it is not difficult to maintain, since even in some areas it is considered an invasive plant with its high reproductive capacity.

It is a fairly common species in orchards. It can even be found in bloom all year round if conditions permit. They are more common in cultivated fields and all the roads where they are found are stained white. The seeds can germinate in poor conditions. For example, although they are in a loamy embankment where there is hardly any water and only accumulates in runoff, it is capable of growing. The way to reproduce to expand quickly is done by just a plant. This plant with less than 5 cm in length, strives to be able to give a flower with the few nutrients it has and then produces the fruit with a few seeds. Once this has been done, the rest of the specimens will reproduce with greater speed until they colonize the entire area.

Needs of the Erucoid diplomaxis

Radish flowers

As we have mentioned before, it is not a very popular plant in gardening, however there are people who want it to decorate the floor in white. One of the advantages of using this plant for the garden is that we will not have to take into account a lot of care. It is essential for those people who want to have a nice garden but do not have much time to dedicate to it. The most normal thing is that with planting a few, we will eventually have the garden full of Erucoid diplomaxisif the conditions are favorable.

As we have already seen, they are not demanding on the soil and soils with acidic, neutral and alkaline pH can be developed. The underground part will grow vigorously on supports with a sandy, loamy and clayey texture. All this will not make any problem for the plant or any big difference. The soil can be kept moist which will generally not cause problems.

Therefore, it is usually sufficient if the rainfall in winter is regular so as not to have to water them. Anyway, they are able to survive on poor embankments, they are sure to survive well in your garden. If we see that rainfall is scarce and a period of drought arrives, we can water it moderately to maintain some humidity in the soil.

Regarding the location, it is a plant that requires being in full sun. If we place it in semi-shade it can survive well, but it will not have the same flowering. We have already commented that it prefers somewhat higher temperatures and does not resist frost well. Therefore, it is best to place them in full sun in an area where it is not too windy at night.

Most frequent uses

Diplotaxis growth

It is not a plant that has too many widespread uses, but it does have some. As a decoration, it is not too flashy, but it does serve to have a more beautiful floor. If we can’t afford to take care of a lawn, it is better to have the radish to have a color on the ground.

It has no documented medicinal uses. Its leaves are used in some dishes to give it flavor.

I hope that with this information you know more about the Erucoid diplomaxis.

Characteristics, uses and care of Diplotaxis erucoides

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