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Black Mustard

Rhamphospermum nigrum

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Not native

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

Profile 12%

At a glance

Not yet recorded · Height · Spread · Light · Soil · Life cycle · Leaves · Bloom

This plant is missing most of its facts, so Quercus is looking them up in old botany books.

Recorded in 23 Virginia counties.

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

What its natural habitat tells you

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

Also known as

Brassica nigra; mustard

Conservation status

Virginia rankSNA
Global rankGNR
VA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Native alternatives

Find natives for your garden

Sources