Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa
(c) Tony KM, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Brassicaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa is a non-native California herb in the Brassicaceae family, recognized by Mediterranean genus cultivated as salad green; larger flowers distinguish it from most naturalized Brassicaceae.
Arugula is a naturalized annual found in the California Central Valley, northern California, southern coastal ranges, and desert regions in disturbed areas and cultivated fields at elevations below 1,200 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces bright yellow flowers with dark brown to purple veins, each petal 1.5 to 2 centimeters wide. Growing 2 to 8 meters tall with simple or absent hairs, it has an upright habit with variably lobed leaves. Its basal leaves are widely oblanceolate, deeply pinnately lobed with 3 to 9 pairs of lateral lobes, ranging from 5 to 20 centimeters long. The fruit develops as a linear silique 1.5 to 3.5 centimeters long, containing 10 to 50 orange to brown seeds arranged in two rows.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Mediterranean genus cultivated as salad green; larger flowers distinguish it from most naturalized Brassicaceae
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas, cultivated fields
Elevation: < 1200 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Napa, San Diego, San Bernardino, Imperial, Monterey, Kern, Butte, Kings, Fresno, Sonoma, San Mateo, Marin, Merced, Siskiyou, Yolo
Outside California: North America, native to Eurasia
Bloom period
Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa blooms May-Sep.
How to tell it apart
vs Raphanus: Arugula pods are thin and split open; radish pods are thick, corky, and don't split.; vs Coincya: Arugula's pod beak is always seedless; Coincya's beak contains 1-6 seeds.; vs Hesperidanthus: Eruca is annual with veined petals; Hesperidanthus is woody perennial with plain petals.; vs Sinapis: Eruca has 1 vein per pod valve; Sinapis has 3-5 veins.; vs Erucastrum: Eruca has seeds in 2 rows; Erucastrum has seeds in 1 row.
Frequently asked questions
Is Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa native to California?
No. Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa bloom?
Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa blooms May-Sep.
Where in California does Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa grow?
Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa occurs in San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Napa, San Diego, San Bernardino, Imperial, Monterey, Kern and other counties, at elevations of < 1200 m.
What plant family does Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa belong to?
Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa is in the Brassicaceae family, genus Eruca.
What habitat does Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa grow in?
Eruca vesicaria subsp. sativa grows in Disturbed areas, cultivated fields.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.