Rocket and Dandelion »How to tell them apart

Differences between the leaves - are there any?

If only the leaves are present, it can be difficult to tell the difference between a dandelion and a rocket just by looking. The leaves of both plants are lanceolate, elongated, medium to dark green, smooth and deeply toothed on the edge or slotted.

The easiest way to tell the difference between the leaves is to pick them. The bitter leaves of the dandelion are thinner, smoother and almost waxy. The sharp-tasting leaves of the rocket or arugula the wild rocket are rougher and coarser. As a rule, they are also smaller.

Differences in flowers - obvious

It is much easier to distinguish between these two herbs during their flowering period. On the one hand, the dandelion blooms much earlier in the course of the year. His Heyday usually starts in April. The rocket only blooms in midsummer, when the dandelions usually take a break from blooming.

the Dandelion flowers look very different from the flowers of the rocket or rocket. the wild rocket:

• a single flower per plant
• Cup flowers
• 3 to 5 cm wide
• deep yellow
• completely filled with ray-florets
• surrounded by large green bracts

The rocket belongs to the cruciferous family and its flowers are cruciform. They are smaller than those of the dandelion and are several in a flower head together. Are unfilled and their yellow color is usually a little paler. In addition, they are composed of four rounded and overlapping petals and not of umpteen ray florets.

Dandelion and arugula - location

The location requirements of these two plants are also quite different. While the dandelion seeks nutrient-rich, moist soils, the rocket prefers to grow in nutrient-poor and dry soils. It is rarely found on meadows, but rather on roadsides, on fallow land, on railway embankments and rubble heaps.