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Ask the Answer Person: Why has much of the Dames Rocket along the Oneota Trail been pulled up?

Posted: Sun, Jun 7, 2020 4:50 PM

Joann e-mails: ""I noticed that much of the Dames Rocket blooming on the sides of Oneota Trail in Decorah was pulled up--and piled up along the trail.  This saddens me as it is lovely to see and smell this time of year.  But a quick Internet search does inform that it is an invasive species.  Still . . . did someone sanction it being pulled up? The same search indicated its leaves are edible and a good source of vitamin C, and its oil is used in perfume.  Plus it has established itself here for hundreds of years.  And I repeat--it is lovely!"

The Answer Person contacted Decorah Park volunteer Mary Lewis, who e-mailed: "I am the one who, along with helpers, have been pulling Dame's Rocket along Dug Trail and along the River Trail. I agree that it is beautiful and fragrant, but it is also a very aggressive invasive species, that is a plant that can take over an area and keep out native species.  It has escaped from gardens into our forests and as a precaution is no longer sold by reputable seed companies.

This year it has spread so much I was alarmed, and at the end of a long garlic mustard season, decided to attack Dame's Rocket too.  Both are in the mustard family, and produce hundreds or thousands of seeds per plant, so they spread quickly.

The Decorah Park-Rec Department is fully aware and supportive of my work and that of Friends of Decorah Parks against alien species in the parks.  I've been working on garlic mustard since the early 2000's.  Yes, Dame's Rocket is edible, and so is garlic mustard. There is plenty of both to be had in many places, but these invasives have no place in our parks.

By the way, Dame's Rocket is sometimes confused with phlox.  They are easily distinguished by petal number: 4 for Dame's Rocket as for all mustards, 5 for phlox.  Also the leaves on the stem are arranged differently.  For Dame's Rocket they are alternate, but for phlox they are opposite, that is, 2 leaves come off the stem at the same place."