| Author | W.T. Aiton | |
| Distribution | Throughout the state, but scarce in the Sandhills proper and with gaps in the Coastal Plain.
Native of Eurasia and northern Africa; in N.A. throughout except a few Deep South states and the Far North. | |
| Abundance | Frequent to locally common in the Mountains and Piedmont, uncommon in the Coastal Plain. Not as numerous or widespread as the similar B. verna. | |
| Habitat | Fields, meadows, cropfields, roadsides, pastures, farmyards, garden weed, yard weed, etc. | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting March-June. | |
| Identification | This is one of two familiar bright yellow-flowered mustards of the spring season in weedy places. Yellow Rocket-cress is a biennial from a basal rosette of pinnately dissected leaves, the lobes oblong or ovate. The stems grow 1-2.5 feet tall, with sessile or clasping leaves that are irregularly cut. The flowers are bright yellow, terminal and from leaf axils. The slender pods stand erect or are strongly ascending. The very similar B. verna differs in having 4-10 pairs of lateral lobes on the basal leaves versus 1-4 such pairs of lateral lobes in B. vulgaris. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | | |
| Other Common Name(s) | | |
| State Rank | SE | |
| Global Rank | GNR | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | FAC link |
| USACE-emp | FACU link |
