Décor Mustards for Fall

Mustard ‘Dragon's Tongue’

Another in our collection of cold weather foliage crops in the versatile 6-inch pot is mustard—by now you must know it’s one of our favorites. Mustard delivers the goods: stunning deep burgundy reds and bright greens, unique texture, and an abundance of flavor. It’s also extremely winter hardy; like lettuce that we discussed last week, red and green mustards become more vivid as the temperature dips.

Mustard tastes sweeter in the frosty weather, too, and you may even wind up harvesting some from under the snow. This is one ornamental grown as much for eating as it is for its good looks. Flavors range from mild to spicy—we use the tender young leaves in salads and the more mature versions in stir-fries and hearty soups and stews. 

Mustard ‘Red Rain’

Texture is where mustard provides the most unexpected twist—we see leaf shapes here that are unlike any we normally come across during the fall season. Notice the sharply serrated, curled, and frilly leaves—these plants are simply eye-catching as focal points in our autumn beds and container designs. They provide contrast when mixed with more traditional cabbage and kale, and are great for spicing up classic mums and harvest arrangements. ‘Scarlet Frills’ or ‘Ruby Streaks’ would be great for bumping up the drama in a Halloween display.

Mustard ‘Scarlet Frill’

Each year we add a few intriguing varieties to our collection—here are three to expand both your autumn design and culinary palettes:

‘Red Komatsuna’ is one of Japan’s most popular vegetables. It’s a spinach mustard, with uniform, flat round leaves that are purple-red on top and emerald green with red veins underneath. We like the mild sweet-sour flavor and use it just like spinach in the kitchen. This variety can tolerate heat as well as cold and is more drought-tolerant than some of the other Asian greens.

Mustard ‘Red Komatsuna’

‘Red Splendor’ has long serrated leaves that are moderately frilled. Dark burgundy is the dominant color with bright green showing through for striking contrast. You may have guessed that the taste is hot and mustardy, in keeping with its edgy appearance. As the plant matures the flavor becomes stronger. This variety is slow bolting. 

Mustard ‘Red Splendor’

‘Tah Tsai’ is another popular spinach mustard with glossy, dark green spoon-shaped leaves. Give it plenty of room to grow—this variety forms wide rosettes of concentric circles for a stunning display. It’s full of mild mustard flavor and nice crunchy texture—the taste is often preferred over bok choi. 

Mustard ‘Tah Tsai’

Our returning favorites are also available in the 6-inch pot:

• ‘Asian Purple Mizuna’—incredibly branched and toothed with a deep purple color; mild peppery flavor is not as strong as arugula
• ‘Asian Red Rain’—deep burgundy with a heavier tooth to the leaf; baby leaves are very mild while mature leaves have a peppery zing
• ‘Dragon’s Tongue’—frilly, scrunched leaves are light lettuce green with striking deep purple edges that bleed into the green; a balance of sweet and spicy flavors 
• ‘Garnet Giant’—one of the darkest baby mustard leaves for salad with slightly toothed margins and lime green stems; mildly spicy flavor
• ‘Red Giant’—huge leaves are dark red on top, bright green underneath with a contrasting thin white mid-rib; strong, sharp taste reminiscent of garlic
• ‘Ruby Streaks’—deeply serrated leaves range from bright green to solid maroon; mild yet zesty flavor
• ‘Scarlet Frills’—rich purple leaves become heavily frilled as they age: tender, lacy, and lightly spicy when harvested as baby leaves