This week’s plant is a rather unkempt straggly one, with clusters of small yellow flowers and seed pods which align close to the stem - a distinctive feature.
The species name officinale means “belonging to the storeroom of a monastery, where medicines and other necessaries were kept”. Linnaeus was clearly aware of its medicinal reputation when naming the plant. The Greek’s believed it was an antidote to all poisons, but its French name herbe aux chantres (singers' plant) captures its main use in folk medicine as a balm for sore throats. Other local names “Wiry Jack” and “barbed wire plant” describe well its stiff tangled nature.
Introduced to the uk in ancient times it has a long association with human settlements, tending to grow on dry wasteland and alongside paths. As a mustard it is edible, but not much valued as rather bitter and potential cardiac toxicity in excess.
Our local butterflies appreciate it though with caterpillars of cabbage white, green veined white and orange tip butterflies using it as food plant. A lovely female orange tip was investigating the patch of hedge mustard I was photographing, but refused to oblige and land to pose for me.