Wild Rocket Plants

• Variety: Wild Rocket
• Latin name: Diplotaxis tenuifolia
• Type: Perennial
• Height: 20–40cm (8–16in)
• Hardiness: Fully hardy (H5)
• Good for: Salads, pizza, pasta, antipasti, pesto
• Container: Not suitable: tap-rooted and spreading
• RHS AGM: No
• Sold as: Pot-grown plants (P9), hand-sown by us
• Plant outdoors: April–September
• Collection: Herbs

Wild rocket is a different species from cultivated salad rocket: smaller, more deeply lobed leaves, and a considerably more intense peppery flavour. It's also a perennial that comes back year after year and self-seeds freely.

Wild Rocket – More Pepper, More Punch

The Elizabethans were extremely fond of salad rocket. Among their more colourful uses: folk medicine recommended it be taken before a whipping to alleviate the pain. It disappeared from British gardens for centuries before returning as a popular salad herb. Wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) is the perennial form: leaves smaller and more deeply lobed than cultivated rocket, flavour considerably more intense, and a cut-and-come-again habit that means one plant in the ground produces through the whole season and returns the following spring.

Unlike cultivated salad rocket (Eruca sativa), which is an annual that runs to seed in warm weather, wild rocket is fully hardy and comes back from the roots each year. It self-seeds freely once established, so a colony builds over time without any effort from you. Harvest young leaves regularly for the most intense flavour; once the plant flowers the leaves coarsen and become sharper. Cut it back before it bolts and fresh growth follows quickly.

Planting Companions

In the kitchen, wild rocket works with almost everything: salads, pizza, pasta, carpaccio. In the garden it grows well alongside flat-leaf parsley and basil. For the full herb range, see all our herb plants.

From Our Nursery to Your Kitchen

Our wild rocket plants are hand-sown by our team, grown without neonicotinoids, and arrive in recycled pots. Nothing is bought in. We guarantee every plant.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between wild rocket and ordinary salad rocket?

Wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) is a perennial with smaller, more deeply lobed leaves and a much more intense peppery flavour than cultivated salad rocket (Eruca sativa), which is an annual. Wild rocket comes back each year and self-seeds freely; cultivated rocket runs to seed quickly and needs replacing each season.

Is wild rocket a perennial that comes back every year?

Yes. Fully hardy (H5), it dies back in winter and re-emerges each spring. It also self-seeds freely, so over time a single plant becomes a spreading colony. One of the most low-maintenance herbs in the kitchen garden.

How do I grow wild rocket?

Full sun, well-drained soil, and regular harvesting. Cut it back before it flowers to keep the leaves coming and delay self-seeding. Water at the base in dry spells; wet foliage encourages mildew. Harvest young leaves for the most intense flavour.

Why is my rocket bitter?

Two causes: leaves harvested after flowering (the flavour sharpens considerably) or plants stressed by heat and drought. Harvest young leaves regularly, keep the soil moist in hot spells, and cut back before flowers open to reset the plant.

Can I grow wild rocket in a pot?

It's not well suited to containers. Wild rocket has a deep tap root and a spreading, self-seeding habit that works against pot growing. Plant it in open ground where it can establish and spread as it wants to.