Brassica rapa (birdsrape mustard, field mustard)

Brassica rapa

Photo courtesy Joseph DiTomaso

Brassica rapa (birdsrape mustard, field mustard) is a winter annual herb (family Brassicaceae) located throughout California. Birdsrape is resistant to frost and mild freezes and is an aggressive plant that grows profusely and may produce allelopathic chemicals that inhibit germination of native plants. Buried seeds can survive 50 years or more.

Cal-IPC Inventory rating: Limited

Cal-IPC Resources on Brassica rapa

• California Invasive Plant Inventory Assessment Form (pdf) - Information gathered by Cal-IPC on the impacts, rate of spread, and distribution of invasive plants in California. Does not include management information.
• Cal-IPC News - Articles from our quarterly newsletter. (None for this species.)
• Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings - Presentations and papers from our annual Symposium. List of articles on Brassica rapa.

Cal-IPC News Articles

• None for this species.

Cal-IPC Symposium Proceedings

• Archbald, G. (1998). Mechanical control methods: beyond weed bashing. California Exotic Pest Plant Council Symposium '98. Ontario, CA.
• Lair, K., N. Ritter, et al. (2006). Restoration of retired San Joaquin Valley farmlands using herbicides and activated charcoal. Cal-IPC Symposium. Rohnert Park, CA.

Other Resources on Brassica rapa

• USDA PLANTS database - Federal database with information on identification and distribution, and links to websites in individual states.
• Jepson Online Interchange for California Flora - Information on taxonomy, biology, and distribution from the UC Berkeley Jepson Herbarium.
• CalFlora - Distribution information by county based on submitted observations and herbarium specimens.
• The Nature Conservancy Management Summary - Information compiled by TNC land managers. Photos included for some species.
• CalPhotos - Images of plants taken mostly in California.

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