You are standing in the garden at the bed you created just a few weeks ago. Now there is a plant growing that looks like a dandelion. Wait: Or is it more like arugula? Below you will find out how to find out which of the two plants it is!
How to distinguish dandelion and arugula?
To distinguish dandelions from arugula, look at the leaves, flowers and location: Dandelion leaves are thinner and smoother, flowers are single, deep yellow cups, prefers nutrient-rich soil. Rocket leaves are rougher, flowers are smaller, pale yellow cruciferous plants and prefer nutrient-poor, dry soils.
Differences between the leaves – are there any?
If only the leaves are present, it can be difficult to distinguish dandelions from arugula just by looking. The leaves of both plants are lanceolate, elongated, medium to dark green, smooth and deeply serrated or slotted at the edge.
The easiest way to distinguish the leaves is to pick them. The bitter leaves of dandelions are thinner, smoother and have an almost waxy coating. The sharp-tasting leaves of rocket or wild rocket are rougher and coarser. As a rule, they are also smaller.
Differences in flowers – obvious
These two herbs are much easier to distinguish during their flowering period. On the one hand, dandelions bloom much earlier during the year. Its flowering usually begins in April. The rocket only blooms in mid-summer, when the dandelions usually take a break from blooming.
The dandelion flowers look completely different than the rocket or wild rocket flowers:
- a single flower per plant
- cup flowers
- 3 to 5 cm wide
- deep yellow
- completely filled with ray florets
- surrounded by large green bracts
Arugula belongs to the cruciferous family and its flowers are cruciform. They are smaller than those of the dandelion and are grouped together in several inflorescences. They are unfilled and their yellow color is usually a little paler. In addition, they are made up of four rounded and overlapping petals and not dozens of ray florets.
Dandelion and rocket – location
The location requirements of these two plants are also quite different. While dandelions seek out nutrient-rich, moist soils, arugula prefers to grow in nutrient-poor, dry soils. It is rarely found in meadows, but rather on roadsides, on fallow land, on railway embankments and rubble heaps.
Tip
The dandelion is also easy to confuse with other wild herbs. Be careful when collecting and consuming! There is a poisonous doppelganger
