Dame's Rocket

Lupins aren’t the only colourful wildflower decorating the Island’s roadside ditches in June. Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) is becoming increasingly common, especially in Central PEI.

Photo: Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) on PEI.

I’d put Dame’s Rocket among the most commonly mis-identified plants on the Island. Every summer, postcard-worthy images appear on social media, often with requests for identification of the lovely flowers. Many people say Phlox, which is incorrect.

Phlox is a garden plant that comes in colours similar to those of Dame’s Rocket, but the similarities end there. Dame’s Rocket is a member of the Mustard Family (Brassicaceae) and has that group’s characteristic four-petalled flowers (an older name for this family was Cruciferae, in reference to the flowers’ cross-shaped appearance).

Phlox is a member a different family – the Polemoniaceae – with five-petalled flowers. The leaves are different too: Dame’s Rocket leaves are alternate, meaning there’s only a single leaf at any one point on the stem; Phlox leaves are opposite, coming off the stem in pairs directly across from each other.

Dame’s Rocket is native to parts of Europe and Asia, and it’s not hard to see why it was brought to North America: the flowers are attractive and fragrant, and the plant itself is easy to grow – traits that made it a popular choice for 19th century gardens. Dame’s Rocket has been naturalized on PEI for more than 70 years and while it’s present in all three counties, you’re most likely to see it between Charlottetown and Summerside.

This plant is a biennial, producing leaves close to the ground it its first year and flowers in the second and (usually) final year (although some plants do manage to squeeze in a third year). One Dame’s Rocket plant can produce as many as 20,000 seeds. While they can hitchhike on human footwear or vehicles and some are distributed by birds, most germinate where they fall, producing dense patches of plants.

The combination of high seed production, good germination, dense patches, and tolerance for a range of site conditions means Dame’s Rocket can become invasive; it’s considered a noxious weed in some provinces and states, although not here on PEI. While I’m not particularly concerned about it, I do recommend that gardeners avoid planting Dame’s Rocket or at least keep it under tight control, so it doesn’t escape and spread to new areas.

Like most members of the Mustard Family, Dame’s Rocket is edible. Flowers have a pleasant taste with floral and Radish-like notes (Radish is another member of this family). They make an attractive garnish, can be added to salads, or used fresh or dried for tea. Young leaves make nice, slightly peppery fresh greens but become hairy and tough as they age.

The best parts are the unopened or very young flower buds, which can be boiled, steamed, or sauteed as you would broccolini. (Followers of my site may recall that you can also do this with Wintercress (Barbarea vulgaris), the yellow member of the Mustard Family plant that’s flowering along PEI roadsides now, too).

Whether you appreciate the sight, scent, and taste of Dame’s Rocket or disparage it as an invasive species, it remains a part of PEI Untamed!