Skip to content
sintropia.club
PT EN

Plants

arugula

Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav.

Family: Brassicaceae · Genus: Eruca

rocket, garden rocket

Placenta I Low No biomass production
Patrick Hacker · CC BY · iNaturalist

Spicy short-cycle leafy green. Pasini lists it in the medium stratum of Tabela 3. Ideal in consortium with brassicas and lettuce in the early bed; tolerates fertile, well-drained soils.

Götsch succession

Götsch stage
Placenta I
Ecological role
Pioneer
Primary stratum
Low
Strata
Low
Biomass class
No biomass production

Environment

Light requirement
Full sun
Water requirement
Moderate
Drought tolerance
Moderate
Soil pH range
6–8.5
Preferred soil texture
Loamy, Sandy
Hardiness zones
6–11

Morphology

Mature height
0.2–0.4 m
Recommended spacing
0.1–0.3 m
Root system
Taproot
Root depth
Shallow
Growth rate
Very fast
Lifespan
≤ 1 year
Time to first harvest
2 months

Biomes & climate

Köppen classes

Where it fits in a guild

Arugula takes the Low stratum in the Placenta I phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.

Design my guild

Free account — and the catalog stays open, no sign-up needed.

Emergent High Medium Low · ≈0 m Ground cover

🪴 Cultivation

Mild weather is ideal (16–22 °C); under heat it bolts (flowers) early and the leaves turn bitter, so autumn/winter sowing performs best. Light, fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, pH 6.0–7.0. Direct-sow and thin to ~10 cm between plants; harvest tender leaves at 25–40 days, before flowering. Once established it tolerates short dry spells reasonably well.

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long until the first harvest of arugula?

The first harvest of arugula comes around 2 months after planting.

What spacing is recommended for arugula?

The recommended spacing for arugula is 0.1–0.3 m.

How tall does arugula grow?

At maturity, arugula reaches 0.2–0.4 m tall.

What stage and stratum does arugula occupy in a syntropic system?

In a syntropic system, arugula belongs to the placenta i stage, occupying the low stratum.

Functions

🍎 Fruit

Propagation

Seed

Citations

  1. Pasini, F. & Guimarães, L. (2017) — Tabela 3 (Incaper) , p. 116 (primary_stratum)
  2. Plants For A Future (PFAF) — Eruca vesicaria (ph_min, ph_max, soil_texture_preference, drought_tolerance, hardiness_zone_min, hardiness_zone_max, root_system, cultivation_notes)
  3. CPT — 6 recomendações para plantar rúcula (spacing_min_m, spacing_max_m, ph_min, ph_max, cultivation_notes, time_to_first_harvest_months)
  4. POWO / Kew — Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. (scientific_author, external_ids)
  5. GBIF Backbone — Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. (external_ids)

External references

Continue exploring

Related plants