Pronounced (approximate): bar-BAIR-ee-uh vul-GAIR-is
A yellow-flowered mustard with glossy leaves and upright flowering clusters.
Yellow Rocket (Barbarea vulgaris): field photograph. Tap the photo to open the gallery.
Family Brassicaceae
Life cycle Biennial or short-lived perennial
Blooms Mid-spring–early summer
Height 1 to 2½ feet
Habitat Moist fields, roadsides, disturbed meadows and waste ground
Common names: Yellow Rocket · Wintercress · Common Winter Cress
Bloom timing varies with latitude, weather and local conditions.
Explore reported observations. Sightings are not a complete range map.
Moist fields, roadsides, disturbed meadows and waste ground. Flowering season: Mid-spring–early summer.
Early Winter Cress usually has more pairs of lower leaf lobes and longer pods. Compare mature fruit and lower foliage; no variety is assigned here.
Small flowers have four yellow petals arranged in a cross.
Lower leaves have a large rounded terminal lobe and smaller side lobes.
Upper leaves clasp the stem; slender seedpods develop below the flowers. Pair close views with a photograph of the whole plant.
18 field photographs. Select a photograph to enlarge it; use Load more photos to see the rest.
Native to Europe and parts of Asia and the Mediterranean; widely introduced in North America.
Reported U.S. distribution
AL, AK, AR, CA, CO, CT, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Includes native and introduced state records where listed; a state record does not imply occurrence in every county.
Observation maps show submitted records, not every place the plant occurs. Follow local access rules when visiting a site.
Practice recognizing Yellow Rocket in the flower quiz, or compare it with other plants in the guide.
Field photographs: Where’s Wildlife.