Foothills, montane. Disturbed areas, fields, wet areas. Spring, summer.
Barlow Creek Road, July 11, 2023.

Barbarea vulgaris is native to Europe and is variously described as a biennial, perennial, either, or rarely perennial. It grows typically from 20 to 50 cm, the latter is shown here. Good winter and spring moisture produces luxuriant flowering and seed production.

The plant shown here was one of dozens around a former ranger cabin and horse area at about 10,175', well above the 9,000' maximum range given in various floras for this species.

Robert Brown named the Barbarea genus in W. T. Aiton's description of that genus and this species in 1812. Aiton was renaming Erysimum barbarea, the name given this species by Linnaeus in 1753 from collections made in "Habitat in Europa".

"Barbarea" is for St. Barbara, the patron saint of miners, for it was thought that this plant would heal explosion wounds. "Vulgaris" is from the Latin for "the multitude", i.e., "common".

Barbarea vulgaris (Yellow Rocket)
Brassicaceae (Mustard Family)

Foothills, montane. Disturbed areas, fields, wet areas. Spring, summer.
Barlow Creek Road, July 11, 2023.

Basal and lower leaves vary from lyrate pinnate to pinnatifid to deeply lobed and can be up to 13 cm long while upper leaves may be similar but are usually reduced in size and most often lobed and/or dentate as well as sometimes compound.