Wegrauke

Die Wegrauke, eine einjährige, 30 - 60 cm hohe Pflanze mit abstehenden Ästen, kommt in Mitteleuropa an Wegrändern, Dämmen und Schuttplätzen häufig vor. Ihre Blätter sind fiederspaltig, die obersten jedoch länglich-lanzettlich. Sie schmecken scharf, kresse- und senfartig. Die Pflanze enthält jedoch neben Senfölglykosiden auch ein giftiges digitaloidartiges Glykosid. Für den Verzehr ist sie dadurch schwach giftig bis giftig.

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but prefers a moist to dry acid to alkaline soil in full sun or light shade. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c. Hedge mustard grows well near oats but it inhibits the growth of turnips. The plant has a peculiar aptitude for collecting and retaining dust. This means that when growing near roads or other polluted places the leaves are seldom edible[K]. A food plant for the caterpillars of several butterfly and moth species.

Edible Parts: Leaves Seed Shoots Edible Uses: Condiment Young shoots - raw or cooked. A bitter cabbage-like flavour, they are used as a flavouring in salads or cooked as a potherb[183, K]. Seed - raw or cooked. It can be ground into a powder and used as a gruel or as a mustard-like flavouring in soups etc.

Soil conditioner Alkaline secretions from the growing roots help to sweeten an acid soil.

Heimisch: Albania, Algeria, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Central European Russia, Corse, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, East Aegean Is., East European Russia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Morocco Eingeführt: Alabama, Alaska, Alberta, Altay, Amur, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Arkansas, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, British Columbia, Buryatiya, California, Cape Provinces, Chile Central, Chile North, Chile South, China Southeast, Colombia, Colorado, Connecticut, Costa Rica, Delaware, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Falkland Is., Florida, Georgia, Great Britain, Gulf States, Haiti, Hawaii, Iceland, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Iowa, Ireland, Irkutsk, Jamaica, Japan, Kansas, Kentucky, Kenya, Khabarovsk, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kuril Is., KwaZulu-Natal, Leeward Is., Louisiana, Maine, Manchuria, Manitoba, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mauritius, Mexico Northwest, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana