Charlock

Look out for charlock growing on recently disturbed ground on roadsides or new house sites where the seed gets a chance to germinate, as it is an annual plant. Charlock is an annual weed of tillage crops. It is similar to brassicas like oilseed rape with bright yellow flowers with four petals. Nectar is easily accessible by insects. Branched stems grow up to a half a metre with variable lobed leaves, the upper ones stalkless. Its name as Ghaeilge as praiseach bhuí appears in placenames such as Cloonprask in Galway and Trafrask in Cork. Valued as a food during the famine, charlock is part of our native Irish biodiversity.