Conringia orientalis aka Hare's Ear Mustard

Conringia orientalis is known as hare's ear mustard. It belongs to the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Kew places its native range in southern Türkiye and Syria. Plants For A Future lists it across a wider area. That list spans Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia. It does not distinguish native plants from introduced ones. The RHS records it as non-native in Britain and Ireland. The RHS also lists Erysimum orientale as a synonym.

Plants For A Future describes an annual reaching 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. Kew instead records a perennial life form, so the sources disagree. The supplied accounts give no spread or branching details. They also lack details on leaf shape and stem colour. In Britain, records place it in fields and on waste ground. It also occurs on cliffs beside the sea. Clay and lime-rich ground feature in these habitat records. These records describe where it grows, rather than its garden value.

Flowers appear from May to July, according to Plants For A Future. Each flower has both male and female organs. Moths, butterflies, and flies pollinate the flowers. The evidence gives no flower colour or fruit description. Seeds provide a pale yellow oil used in cooking. Plants For A Future also lists raw leaves as edible. It includes young stems among the parts eaten raw. Its food-use rating is two out of five. It lists no known hazards, but gives no pet-specific safety information.

For cultivation, choose an open site with direct sun. Plants For A Future says it cannot grow in shade. It prefers moist soil and accepts several soil textures. These include sand, loam, and clay, including heavy clay. It also grows in soils rich in lime. Its stated pH range runs from mildly acid to very alkaline. It tolerates strong winds, but not salt-laden coastal exposure. The supplied sources give no temperature limits or hardiness zones.

Plants For A Future lists cultivated beds as a growing site. It suggests spring sowing directly where plants will grow. It also proposes autumn sowing for an earlier crop. The source makes clear that these are suggestions, not tested guidance. It reports no known medicinal uses or further non-food uses. Its weed-potential entry is negative. The evidence names no pests or diseases.