1 named cultivar

‘Osaka Purple’Osaka Purple Mustard

fruit vegetable

Mustard

The Story

Plant Bio

Brassica juncea, mustard greens, is a fast annual from central Asia, twelve to eighteen inches high in leaf. Lower leaves are variously lobed and often crinkled or purple-tinged, upper ones taper to short stalks, and yellow four-petalled flowers open on tall stems if the plant is allowed to bolt, followed by seed pods.

Everything above ground is edible — leaves, stems, flowers and the seeds that make mustard — and the peppery heat sharpens as the plant ages and in hot weather. Sow it in cool seasons for mild leaves. It is also an effective biofumigant green manure: dug in while green, the breakdown products suppress some soil pests and pathogens.

Uses & Benefits:

Crinkled purple-tinged foliage in the coloured forms, good enough for an ornamental edible bed.

Leaves, stems, flowers and seeds are all edible, and the seed is the source of mustard.

Bees work the yellow flowers, and dug in green it suppresses some soil pests and pathogens.

Essentials

At a Glance

Plant Type

Fruit Vegetable

Height

15 inches

Width

18 inches

Light

Full Sun, Partial Sun

Zones

5, 6, 7, 8

Water

Moderate

Humidity

Moderate

Lifespan

Annual

Native To

Central Asia

Toxicity

Non-toxic; leaves, flowers and seeds are edible

Planting

How to Grow

Sow direct in spring or late summer for cool growth.
Give it full sun to partial shade and moist soil.
Thin seedlings and eat the thinnings.
Pick outer leaves and let the centre keep growing.
Sow in succession every few weeks.
Dig plants in green as a biofumigant manure.

Pro Tip

Heat makes it sharper, not better — sow in spring and autumn and the leaves stay mild enough for salads.

Keep It Thriving

Care Guide

Do

Sow in cool seasons for mild leaves 🌱
Pick outer leaves as it grows 🥬
Sow in succession every few weeks 📆
Dig it in green as a green manure ⛏️

Don't

Sow it into summer heat for salad use ❌
Let it bolt if you want tender leaves ❌
Grow it repeatedly on the same ground ❌

Seasonal Care Calendar

Task	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Harvest
Sow

Watch Out For

Pests & Diseases

Common Pests

Common Diseases

In the Garden

Landscape Uses & Companions

Landscape Uses

Vegetable bed and cut-and-come-again saladGreen manure and biofumigant cover cropOrnamental edible border for the coloured forms

Companion Plants

Lettuce Radish Spinach Dill Nasturtium

Multiply

Propagation Methods

Good to Know

Common Questions

Mustard questions

What zones can Mustard grow in?

Mustard is hardy in USDA Zones 5–8. Inside that range it survives winter in the ground; outside it, grow it as an annual or a container plant you protect.

Is Mustard deer resistant?

Not reliably. Deer may browse Mustard, especially tender spring growth — plan on repellents or fencing where pressure is high.

When does Mustard bloom?

Mustard typically blooms in late spring through early summer. Exact timing shifts a week or two with your zone — Sow's bloom calendar maps it to your garden.

Does Mustard need full sun?

Mustard does best in full sun to part shade. In hot climates, afternoon shade keeps blooms fresher longer.