Sinapis alba

White mustard (Sinapis alba) — a fast annual for mild mustard seed, peppery salad leaves and one of the best green manures for improving soil.
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    Yellow Mustard Seeds Sinapis Alba Annual Herb
    €3,96€4,95

    Yellow mustard seeds for versatile kitchen use yellow mustard seeds are an annual herb seed valued for both leafy growth and mature seed. This variety is also known as white mustard seed and is offered...
  • Mustard Sprouting 250g seeds (Sinapis alba) – organic sprouting seeds Mustard Sprouting 250g (Sinapis alba) – organic sprouting seeds from SeedsChoice
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    Organic mustard sprouts with bold kitchen flavor mustard sprouting seeds are a popular choice for fresh, aromatic sprouts with a distinctly sharp mustard character. These organic seeds are selected for sprouting and are also known...
  • Mustard Sprouting seeds (Sinapis alba) – organic annual sprouting seeds Mustard Sprouting (Sinapis alba) – organic annual sprouting seeds from SeedsChoice
    Mustard Sprouting Seeds Organic Sinapis Alba Annual
    €4,95

    Organic mustard sprouts for bold kitchen flavor mustard sprouting seeds are a popular choice for indoor sprouting when you want a lively, mustard-like bite and fresh texture. These organic sprouting seeds come from Sinapis alba...
  • Mustard Green Manure 140g Pack seeds (Sinapis alba) – annual green manure Mustard Green Manure 140g Pack (Sinapis alba) – annual green manure seeds from SeedsChoice
    Mustard Seeds Sinapis Alba Annual Green Manure 140g Pack
    €5,95

    Annual green manure mustard for garden soil Mustard seeds are an annual green manure option for gardeners who want a fast, tidy cover between crops. This variety is also known as sinapis alba seeds and...
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Sinapis alba — white mustard

Sinapis alba, known as white or yellow mustard, is a fast-growing annual valued on two fronts: as the source of mild mustard seeds and peppery salad leaves, and as one of the very best green manures for improving soil. It sits within both our mustard range in the culinary herb collection and our green manures.

History & origin

White mustard is native to the Mediterranean basin and has been cultivated since antiquity for its pungent seeds. The Romans ground it into a paste — an early ancestor of the table mustard we know today — and it spread throughout Europe as both a condiment crop and, in time, a trusted soil-improving cover crop on farms and in gardens.

Its name comes from the Latin sinapis, the classical word for mustard, while alba (“white”) refers to the pale, sandy-coloured seeds that set it apart from black and brown mustards.

Botanical characteristics

White mustard is a quick, upright annual reaching 40–80 cm, with lobed green leaves and bright yellow four-petalled flowers loved by bees, followed by bristly seed pods. It grows with remarkable speed, which is exactly what makes it such an effective green manure — smothering weeds and building soil structure. As a fast annual it sits among our annual herbs as well as our soil-building cover crops.

Growing Sinapis alba from seed

White mustard could not be simpler to grow. For salad leaves or seed, sow in spring and summer in full sun. As a green manure, broadcast the seed thickly over bare soil, rake in lightly and water — it germinates within days. Dig the leafy growth back in before it flowers to return nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Our herb growing guide and herb sowing calendar cover timing and care in full.

Ready to grow white mustard? Explore the varieties or learn the basics first.

Related categories: Mustard · Green Manures · Culinary Herbs · Annual Herbs · All Herb Seeds

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What is Sinapis alba?
It is the botanical name for white (yellow) mustard, grown both for its mild mustard seeds and peppery leaves and as a fast-growing green manure. How do I use white mustard as a green manure?
Broadcast the seed thickly over bare soil, rake in lightly and water. Dig the leafy growth back in before it flowers to enrich the soil. Can I eat white mustard?
Yes. The young leaves add a peppery kick to salads, and the pale seeds are used to make mild mustard. How quickly does it grow?
Very quickly. It germinates within days and grows fast, which makes it excellent for smothering weeds and improving soil structure.