Herb Sophia
Descurainia sophia
- Native to:
- Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Korea, Kriti, Krym, Kuwait, Lebanon-Syria, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sicilia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Arkadiusz Nowak, Marcin Nobis, Sylwia Nowak, Agnieszka Nobis, Anna Wróbel, Sebastian Świerszcz, Ewelina Klichowska, Iwona Dembicz & Grzegorz Kusza
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Brassicaceae
- Genus:
- Descurainia
- Species:
- Descurainia sophia
- USDA Symbol:
- DESO2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual | Biennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 80 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Becker's white (Pontia beckerii), Checkered White (Pontia protodice), Western white (Pontia occidentalis)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Pioneer species that colonizes burned areas rapidly from seed bank.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 8.0 (neutral to slightly alkaline)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- commonly found in disturbed areas
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily in disturbed soils without pretreatment. Light may enhance germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI