Wild Arugula
Wild Rocket Arugula is a peppery green that brings genuine intensity to the table, the kind of spicy bite that makes you sit up and pay attention. This heirloom variety of Diplotaxis tenuifolia is the wilder cousin of garden arugula, with a more complex, mouth-watering heat that comes from naturally occurring glucosinolates. Ready to harvest in just 40 days, it thrives in cool weather between 40, 70°F and needs only full sun and 12 inches of space to deliver those nutrient-dense leaves packed with calcium and vitamins A and K.
Full Sun
—
6-11
?in H x ?in W
Perennial
Moderate
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What sets Wild Rocket apart is its intensity, both in flavor and nutritional profile. The spicy kick you taste is a direct signal of glucosinolates, compounds that research suggests may help protect cells from damage. Unlike milder salad greens, this is a green that tastes like it came from somewhere wild and untamed, yet it's surprisingly quick to grow. In just 40 days, you'll have leaves ready to enliven salads, sandwiches, and cooked dishes with genuine complexity.
Wild Rocket Arugula shines raw in salads where its assertive peppery bite can stand up to bold vinaigrettes and strong cheeses, but it's equally at home wilted into pasta, stirred into soups at the last moment, or layered onto sandwiches for a spicy punch. The intensity of its flavor makes it excellent for situations where you want greens to be a flavor statement rather than a mild backdrop.
Sow seeds directly into garden soil or containers where they'll grow. Wild Rocket can be direct sown as soon as soil is workable in spring, and again in late summer for a fall crop. Succession planting every 2–3 weeks will give you continuous harvests through the season.
Begin harvesting outer leaves once the plant has developed true leaves, typically around 40 days from sowing. You can pinch individual leaves from the outside as needed, allowing the center to continue growing, or cut the entire plant 1, 2 inches above soil level for multiple harvests. Younger leaves tend to be more tender, while older outer leaves develop deeper, more complex spice.
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