Hesperis matronalis - Sweet Rocket

Family:	Cruciferae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.75
Width:	0.6
Synonyms:
Range:	S. Europe to Siberia. A garden escape in Britain, occasionally naturalized.

Hesperis matronalis (Sweet Rocket) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.75m and a width of 0.6m . It has a hardness rating of 3and is vunerable to frost.
Sweet Rocket will flower in November to January. the seeds ripen from December to February
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Bees, flies, lepidoptera

Soil Information

Sweet Rocket will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Sweet Rocket prefers either dry or moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Sweet Rocket can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Woodland edges[45], meadows, hedges, grass verges etc, avoiding acid soils[17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Grows on a sunny edge
• Works within dappled Shade
• Will grow in a hedge row

Cultivation Details

Prefers a rich moist well-drained soil, succeeding in full sun or semi-shade[111, 244]. Requires a neutral to alkaline soil[200]. Prefers an alkaline soil[190]. Tolerates poor soils[200, 233]. Grows well in damp, shady or grassy places[187]. Established plants are drought resistant[190]. Plants are hardy to about -20°c[187]. A very ornamental plant[1], it is a short-lived perennial[187] and is often grown as a biennial. A good bee, butterfly and moth plant, it is a specific food plant for the orange-tip butterfly[17, 30, 200]. The flowers are very aromatic with a clove-like fragrance, this is especially apparent in the evening[188, 245]. They usually have very little scent during the day and thus obtained a reputation in folk-lore for deceit[244]. The plant is sometimes cultivated for the essential oil contained in its seed[61].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
Young leaves - raw. Rich in vitamin C, they are used as a cress substitute in salads[183, 244]. A rather bitter flavour, though many people like the extra tang it gives to salads[244]. For culinary purposes, the leaves should be picked before the plant flowers[183]. The seed can be sprouted and added to salads[183]. The seed contains 50% of an edible oil - there is a potential for cultivation[74, 177].

• Leaves -
• Oil -
• Seed - includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
The leaves are antiscorbutic, diaphoretic and diuretic[74, 244]. They are best harvested when the plant is in flower[244].

• Diaphoretic - Induces perspiration.
• Diuretic - Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in an outdoor seedbed and plant them out in late summer[111]. Germination should take place within 3 weeks. The seed can also be sown in early spring in a warm greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring. The seed can also be sown in July for planting out in the following spring. Division. Plants are short-lived perennials, division may not be worthwhile. Cuttings in summer 7cm long in a shady border[111]. Only done with named varieties being grown for ornament, it is not worthwhile otherwise.

Scented parts of the plants

Flowers : Fresh

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

An essential oil from the seed is used in perfumery[46, 61]. The plant is cultivated for this purpose.

• Essential - Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.

Cultivars

'' - There are some named forms for this species, but these have been developed for their ornamental value and not for their other uses. Unless you particularly require the special characteristics of any of these cultivars, we would generally recommend that you grow the natural species for its useful properties. We have, therefore, not listed the cultivars in this database[K].

References

Flowers of Greece and the Balkans.
Polunin. O.
Author: Polunin. O.
Rating:
Publisher : A good pocket flora, it also lists quite a few plant uses.
Date of Publication : 1980

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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