Mizuna Mustard brings the delicate, feathery elegance of Japanese greens to your garden with remarkable speed and versatility. This light-textured subspecies of Brassica rapa produces dandelion-like jagged leaves that mature in just 30 to 50 days, offering a mild, sweet, earthy flavor that distinguishes it from its more peppery mustard cousins. Thriving in zones 4-10 with full sun exposure, this annual green excels in containers and provides continuous harvests through its cut-and-come-again growing habit.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
4-10
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained Loam, Tolerates Poor Soils
Preferred Temp45-75°F
Growth Stats
—
Height
—
Width
12 in
Spacing
30–50
Days to Harvest
PeriodAnnual, Biennial
TypeForb/herb
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
4-10
Size
?in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual, Biennial
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
What makes Mizuna truly special is its gentle approach to the mustard family's typically bold flavors, delivering sweetness and mildness that makes it perfect for fresh salads while remaining substantial enough for stir-fries and soups. The feathery, jagged foliage regrows beautifully after cutting, providing gardeners with multiple harvests from a single planting. Its compact 12-inch spacing requirements and container-friendly nature make it ideal for small gardens, while its ability to grow in cool conditions extends the growing season significantly.
Common Uses
This versatile green shines in fresh salad mixes where its mild, sweet flavor provides texture without overwhelming other ingredients. Beyond salads, mizuna adapts beautifully to cooked preparations including stir-fries and soups, where its delicate leaves wilt quickly while maintaining structure. The variety also excels as a microgreen, offering concentrated flavor and nutrition in its youngest form.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
Does Not Produce Blooms In Typical Harvest Cycles
First Harvest
Early Spring
Last Harvest
Late Fall
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Not recommended as transplant stress can cause premature bolting.
Direct Sow
Sow outside 4 to 6 weeks before average last frost date when soil temperature reaches at least 40°F, ideally 60-75°F. Make successive sowings every 3 weeks until 10-12 weeks before first fall frost.
Harvesting
Harvest mizuna when leaves reach desired size, typically within 30-50 days of sowing, though some sources suggest harvests as early as 20 days. Cut the entire plant about an inch above ground level to encourage regrowth, or harvest individual outer leaves continuously for a cut-and-come-again approach that extends the productive season.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Brassica rapa L.
Family
Brassicaceae
Genus
Brassica
Duration
Annual, Biennial
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)HI (I)CAN (I)GL (I)