{"product_id":"wild-rocket-plants","title":"Wild Rocket Plants","description":"\u003cul class=\"pdp-specs\"\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVariety:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wild Rocket\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLatin name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eDiplotaxis tenuifolia\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eType:\u003c\/strong\u003e Perennial\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 20–40cm (8–16in)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fully hardy (H5)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGood for:\u003c\/strong\u003e Salads, pizza, pasta, antipasti, pesto\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eContainer:\u003c\/strong\u003e Not suitable: tap-rooted and spreading\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRHS AGM:\u003c\/strong\u003e No\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSold as:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pot-grown plants (P9), hand-sown by us\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePlant outdoors:\u003c\/strong\u003e April–September\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003c!-- EXPERT: confirm herb dispatch window for Delivered line --\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCollection:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/herbs\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHerbs\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWild 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWild Rocket – More Pepper, More Punch\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePlanting Companions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn the kitchen, wild rocket works with almost everything: salads, pizza, pasta, carpaccio. In the garden it grows well alongside \u003ca href=\"\/products\/flat-leaf-parsley-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eflat-leaf parsley\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/basil-plants\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ebasil\u003c\/a\u003e. For the full herb range, see \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/herbs\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eall our herb plants\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrom Our Nursery to Your Kitchen\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is the difference between wild rocket and ordinary salad rocket?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWild 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eIs wild rocket a perennial that comes back every year?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eHow do I grow wild rocket?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFull 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy is my rocket bitter?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwo 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I grow wild rocket in a pot?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt'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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Ashridge Nurseries","offers":[{"title":"Potted \/ P9","offer_id":56773228101958,"sku":"HERBDIPTEN-P9","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0947\/0351\/8022\/files\/potted-wild-rocket.webp?v=1781531226","url":"https:\/\/www.ashridgetrees.co.uk\/products\/wild-rocket-plants","provider":"Ashridge Nurseries","version":"1.0","type":"link"}