Arugula (a.k.a. rocket, rucula, or roquette) is a cool-weather annual native to the Mediterranean that produces flavorful and tender greens from the same family as cabbage, kale, and horseradish (Brassicaceae). Delicious, spicy, peppery arugula leaves are a perfect addition to salad, pizza, pasta, and sandwiches. It grows rather quickly and is one of the earliest crops I can harvest in my spring garden.
Growth pattern: Arugula can be grown either for its tender baby leaves or allowed to mature. Baby arugula is typically planted densely like baby lettuce and harvested as a cut-and-come-again crop. Alternatively, it can be grown as individual plants for bunching that will mature with much larger leaves. Arugula grown for bunching tends to be much more pungent and is used in cooked preparations, while baby arugula is used in salads and other raw recipes. Arugula is a cool-weather crop and will bolt (go to flower) as temperatures rise. A telltale sign that your arugula is bolting and no longer delicious is the appearance of fuzz or little hairs on the stem.
