Quercus

Black Mustard

Brassica nigra

Not native to Kentucky

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

66CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Brassica

  • Abagrotis alternataGreater Red Dart, Mottled Grey Cutworm
  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Agnorisma badinodisPale-Banded Dart
  • Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis venerabilisVenerable Dart, Dusky Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis vetustaOld Man Dart
  • Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
  • Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
Show all 66
  • Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
  • Apamea amputatrixYellow-Headed Cutworm Moth
  • Apamea devastatorGlassy Borer, Glassy Cutworm Moth
  • Autographa precationisCommon Looper Moth
  • Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
  • Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
  • Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
  • Condica sutorThe Cobbler, Cobbler Groundling
  • Derrima stellataPink Star
  • Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Euphyia intermediataSharp-Angled Carpet Moth, The Intermediate
  • Eustixia pupulaSpotted Peppergrass Moth
  • Euxoa messoriaReaper Dart, Darksided Cutworm, Dark-Sided Cutworm
  • Euxoa tessellataTessellate Dart, Striped Cutworm
  • Evergestis pallidataPurple-Backed Cabbageworm Moth
  • Evergestis rimosalisCross-Striped Cabbageworm, Cross-Shaped Cabbageworm
  • Feltia herilisMaster's Dart
  • Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
  • Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Hellula rogatalisCabbage Webworm
  • Herpetogramma bipunctalisSouthern Beet Webworm, Two-Spotted Herpetogramma
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Hypercompe scriboniaGiant Leopard Moth, Great Leopard Moth
  • Lacanobia subjunctaSpeckled Arches, Subdues Arches, Harnessed Mamestra, Speckled Cutworm Moth, Grand Arches?(incorrectly)
  • Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
  • Manduca sextaCarolina Sphinx, Tomatoe Sphinx, Tobacco Hornworm
  • Megalographa bilobaBilobed Looper Moth
  • Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
  • Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Nephelodes miniansBronzed Cutworm
  • Pandemis lamprosanaWoodgrain Leafroller
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Pieris virginiensisWest Virginia White
  • Pontia protodiceCheckered White
  • Pyrrhia ciliscaAmerican Bordered Sallow, Noble Sun Moth
  • Spaelotis clandestinaClandestine Dart, W-Marked Cutworm
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera albulaWhite-Spotted Armyworm, Gray-Streaked Armyworm
  • Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
  • Sunira bicoloragoBicolored Sallow
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
  • Trichordestra legitimaStriped Garden Caterpillar Moth
  • Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
  • Urbanus proteusLong-Tailed Skipper, Bean Leaf Roller
  • Xanthorhoe labradorensisLabrador Carpet, Packard’s Carpet
  • Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
  • Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
  • Xestia smithiiSmith's Dart
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Brassica

  • Andrena arabis
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
14BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Brassica

  • Alectoris chukarChukar
  • Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
  • Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
  • Haemorhous mexicanusHouse Finch
  • Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
  • Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
  • Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
  • Perdix perdixGray Partridge
  • Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
  • Spinus psaltriaLesser Goldfinch
Show all 14
  • Spizelloides arboreaAmerican Tree Sparrow
  • Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
  • Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow
  • Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Brassicaceae
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
Yellow

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Black Mustard

Conservation status

Kentucky rankSNA
Global rankNot available
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source

Native alternatives

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Sources