Horse-radish - Armoracia rusticana

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Alternative names
Horse Radish
Description

Tall, stout, hairless, stoloniferous plant with a large broad tap root. Basal leaves large, oblong, toothed and quite erect. Stem leaves small and short stalked. Flowers white 8 to 9 mm many in broad panicles. Fruit rounded, inflated 4 to 6 mm on slender stalks.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Fields, roadsides, stream sides etc.

When to see it

May to June.

Life History

Perennial.

UK Status

Frequent in England and Wales, much less so in Scotland.

VC55 Status

Fairly common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 380 of the 617 tetrads.

  • Peter Smith
    Cropston
    17 June 2013
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote
    24 May 2007
  • Graham Calow
    Higham on the Hill
    12 June 2015
  • Alan Semper
    Harby roadside
    04 June 2015
  • Graham Calow
    Sapcote
    24 May 2007
    showing large basal leaves
  • Paul Ruddoch
    Melton Mowbray Country Park
    14 September 2014
  • Ron.stevens
    Broughton Astley
    05 June 2011

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Common names
Horse-radish
Species group:
Wildflowers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Brassicales
Family:
Brassicaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
140
First record:
21/09/1998 (Anthony Fletcher)
Last record:
01/09/2024 (Nicholls, David)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records

  • Alan Semper
    Harby, Stathern La
    13 September 2012
  • Graham Calow
    Higham on the Hill
    12 June 2015
  • Ron.stevens
    Broughton Astley
    05 June 2011
  • Peter Smith
    River Soar, Leicester
    30 May 2012
  • HAPeacock
    The Orchards
    26 June 2012
  • David Nicholls
    St. Mary's Allotments, Leicester
    06 October 2012
  • Ruth Dring
    Broughton Astley
    27 August 2012
  • Paul Ruddoch
    Melton Mowbray Country Park
    14 September 2014
  • Alan Semper
    Harby roadside
    18 May 2014