Black Mustard is an annual grown for its foliage and form, settling in over about 60 days. It's hardy across USDA zones 6 through 10. Its spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees.
Black Mustard — the short answer
Black Mustard: grown in zones 6–10, full sun, pH 5.3–7.8, about 60 days to maturity.
- USDA zones
- 6–10
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Soil pH
- 5.3–7.8
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Days to Maturity
- 60 days
- USDA-NRCS
- Frost-kill temperature
- 30.2°F
- FAO ECOCROP
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Black Mustard on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether black mustard actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score black mustard against your land's real conditions.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
What Black Mustard is
Black Mustard grows as an annual and reaches around four feet at maturity. It blooms in spring.
How to grow Black Mustard
Black Mustard grows in USDA zones 6 through 10. Black Mustard does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.3 to 7.8, on well-drained ground. It needs a growing season of at least 120 frost-free days, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
6-10
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.3 - 7.8
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
30.2°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
FAO ECOCROP
Minimum Growing Temperature
41°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
FAO ECOCROP
Days to Maturity
60 days
Black mustard; biofumigant cover crop. Days = typical termination point before flowering.
USDA-NRCS
Mature Height
4 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
120+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant black mustard in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Black Mustard prefers pH 5.3 to 7.8 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Keep it in good form
Prune black mustard to shape as it grows; the reward is its foliage and structure, not a harvest, so steady upkeep is the whole job.
Where Black Mustard thrives
Black Mustard is hardy across USDA zones 6 through 10. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 6–10 spans average winter lows from -10°F to 40°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 16 outright and splits 32 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 6–10·Where Black Mustard growsOpen map →
Where Black Mustard stands, state by state
Black Mustard is rated for zones 6–10 — a cold floor USDA puts at -10 to 0°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 16 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 32 more, and 3 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 6–10
16 states
- Arkansas · zones 6b-8b
- Connecticut · zones 6a-7b
- Kentucky · zones 6a-7b
3 of 16 shown
The line runs through
32 states
3 of 32 shown
Black Mustard’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 6–10
3 states
- Minnesota · zones 3a-5a
- North Dakota · zones 3b-4b
- South Dakota · zones 4a-5b
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Black Mustard
Growing guides for black mustard
In rotation planning, black mustard counts as a Brassica — beds recover best when brassica crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — black mustard isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Black Mustard offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Your land is one point inside Black Mustard's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Black Mustard will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether black mustard actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Black Mustard
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Black Mustard in my zone?
Black Mustard grows in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 10 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Black Mustard?
Black Mustard is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Black Mustard need?
Black Mustard needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Black Mustard need?
Black Mustard prefers soil pH 5.3 to 7.8, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Black Mustard attract pollinators?
Yes — black mustard's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees. (Source: Pollinator Partnership.)
Is Black Mustard safe for pets?
Black Mustard is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)