General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Annual
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Partial Shade to Full Shade
Full Shade
Plant Height: 3-5 feet
Plant Spread: 1-2 feet wide
Fruiting Time: Spring
Late spring or early summer
Summer
Late summer or early fall
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Lavender
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Late spring or early summer
Summer
Uses: Vegetable
Salad greens
Cooked greens
Edible Parts: Leaves
Fruit
Eating Methods: Raw
Cooked
Propagation: Seeds: Days to germinate: 5-10
Depth to plant seed: 1/4"
Sow in situ

Image
Common names
  • Rat-Tail Radish
  • Serpent Radish
  • Tail-Pod Radish
  • Mougri
  • Shu Wei Luo Bo
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Raphanus sativus var. caudatus
  • Synonym: Raphanus sativus var. mougri

Photo Gallery
Location: Columbus, OH
Location: Brown City, MI
Date: July
Loaded with edible pods.

 Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Used with permissi
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Illinois, US
Date: 2021-07-19
Location: Minnesota
Date: 2017-06-23
Location: Minnesota
Date: 2017-06-23
they grow well in the shade too!
Location: Columbus, OH
Location: Brown City, MI
Date: July
Beautiful tiny blooms
Comments:
  • Posted by Weedwhacker (Ford River Twp, Michigan UP - Zone 4b) on Oct 2, 2017 8:40 AM concerning plant:
    I grew this for the first time in 2017 and didn't plant the seeds until mid July, as an afterthought. The plants are pretty scraggly looking and for quite some time I was disappointed in that very few actual pods were forming, despite having lots of flowers. By late September, though, there were many pods to start harvesting; they're so tasty I'm not sure any are going to make it into the house to use in a stir-fry! As an added bonus, the flowers are very attractive to butterflies and bees. I definitely will be growing these again, they're a very interesting addition to the vegetable garden.
  • Posted by Tree_climber (Brown City, MI) on Feb 6, 2015 2:02 PM concerning plant:
    This is a cute plant and a great one for the "Edible Landscape." Light and airy, it's loaded with lovely lavender blooms and attractive pods that can be used in a salad or stir fry. Easy to start from seed and grow.
  • Posted by CarolineScott (Calgary - Zone 4a) on Apr 19, 2015 8:32 PM concerning plant:
    Is the root part edible too?
  • Posted by robynanne (Minnesota - Zone 4a) on Jun 23, 2017 11:57 AM concerning plant:
    The pods are growing with some purple ones!! I grew this in nearly full shade, and it is doing well. I keep it in a cage, much like tomatoes, because otherwise the long floppy stems get all over the place and I end up stepping on more rat tails than eating. When supported, the stems can get up to 3-4 feet long but they don't mind crowding.

    I love picking a bunch of these and eating them with hummus!
Plant Events from our members
Horntoad On April 19, 2015 Seeds germinated
Horntoad On April 15, 2015 Seeds sown
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