White Wallrocket: A Hardy Mediterranean Wildflower for Your Garden
Meet white wallrocket (Diplotaxis erucoides), a plucky little annual that’s been quietly making its way across North America. This Mediterranean native might not win any beauty contests, but it’s got character—and a knack for thriving where other plants fear to tread.
What Is White Wallrocket?
White wallrocket is a forb—basically a non-woody flowering plant that keeps its growing points at or below ground level. As an annual to biennial plant, it completes its life cycle in one to two years, making it a relatively temporary garden visitor unless it decides to self-seed (which it often does).
This scrappy little plant produces small, four-petaled white flowers arranged in loose, elongated clusters that give it that distinctive rocket appearance. The leaves are narrow and often lobed, creating a somewhat feathery texture that adds interest even when the plant isn’t blooming.
Where Does It Grow?
Originally from the Mediterranean region, white wallrocket has established populations in Quebec, New Jersey, and New York. It’s considered a non-native species that reproduces spontaneously in the wild and tends to persist in these areas.
Should You Plant White Wallrocket?
Here’s where things get interesting. White wallrocket is definitely not native to North America, but it’s also not currently listed as invasive in most areas. This puts it in a gray zone that many gardeners find themselves navigating.
The Pros:
- Extremely low-maintenance once established
- Thrives in poor soils where other plants struggle
- Attracts small pollinators like flies and beneficial insects
- Self-seeds readily, providing continuous coverage
- Drought tolerant and hardy in zones 6-10
The Considerations:
- As a non-native species, it doesn’t support native wildlife as effectively as indigenous plants
- Can become weedy and spread beyond intended areas
- May compete with native wildflowers for space and resources
Growing White Wallrocket
If you decide to give white wallrocket a try, you’ll find it refreshingly undemanding. This plant actually prefers poor, well-drained soils and full sun conditions. It’s the garden equivalent of that friend who thrives on chaos—the worse the conditions, the better it seems to do.
White wallrocket is best suited for:
- Disturbed or waste areas you want to revegetate
- Mediterranean-style gardens
- Informal, naturalized landscapes
- Areas with poor, rocky, or sandy soils
Planting and Care Tips
The beauty of white wallrocket lies in its simplicity. Here’s what you need to know:
- Direct seed in spring or fall—this plant doesn’t like to be fussed with transplanting
- Barely cover seeds with soil; they need light to germinate
- Water lightly until established, then leave it alone
- No fertilizer needed—rich soils actually make it less hardy
- Deadhead flowers if you want to prevent aggressive self-seeding
Native Alternatives to Consider
While white wallrocket has its charms, consider these native alternatives that offer similar benefits with greater ecological value:
- Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) for pollinator appeal
- Prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa) for delicate white flowers
- White wild indigo (Amorpha alba) for poor soil tolerance
- Pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) for drought tolerance
The Bottom Line
White wallrocket is like that acquaintance who shows up uninvited but turns out to be surprisingly useful—not necessarily someone you’d seek out, but not unwelcome either. If you’re dealing with challenging growing conditions and want something that will establish quickly with minimal effort, it might fit the bill.
However, given the importance of supporting native ecosystems, consider exploring indigenous alternatives first. Your local pollinators, birds, and other wildlife will thank you for choosing plants that evolved alongside them. If you do decide to grow white wallrocket, keep an eye on its spreading tendencies and be prepared to manage its enthusiastic self-seeding habits.
