Rapeseed

Brassica napus

Found in fields, disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height: About 4 feet
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Dry to wet

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Wrinkle-leaf Goldenrod
Solidago rugosa
Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Yellow.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous
Giant Goldenrod
Solidago gigantea
Sun: Part shade. Soil: Average to wet. Flowers: Yellow.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous
Bearded Beggarticks
Bidens aristosa
Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Yellow.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

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At a glance

Bloom: May to July
Fruiting season: Summer

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Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 19 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

65CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · 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 venerabilisVenerable Dart, Dusky Cut-Worm
Agrotis vetustaOld Man Dart
Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
Anatrachyntis badiaFlorida Pink Scavanger Caterpillar

Show all 65

Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
Apamea amputatrixYellow-Headed Cutworm Moth
Apamea devastatorGlassy Borer, Glassy Cutworm Moth
Autographa precationisCommon Looper Moth
Calpodes ethliusBrazilian Skipper, Canna Skipper, Canna Leafroller
Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
Condica sutorThe Cobbler, Cobbler Groundling
Derrima stellataPink Star
Dichomeris bolizeGlaser's Dichomeris Moth
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
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
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 dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall 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 iduataBroken-banded Carpet
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)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Brassicaceae
Flower color: Yellow
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Single crown
Foliage color: Dark green
Fruit begins: Summer
Fruit ends: Summer

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “May to July” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Single crown” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Height · “About 4 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Light · “Full sun (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
primary_flower_color · “yellow” · USDA PLANTS
Soil · “Dry; Moist; Wet (documented habitat)” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia

Also known as

Canola; Rape; Rutabaga; Swede

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source