Best Arugula Varieties to Grow in Your Garden

Arugula is a versatile, fast-growing leafy green loved for its peppery, nutty flavor. With decades of experience growing arugula in raised beds, mounded rows, and containers, I’ve learned that selecting the right variety makes a big difference in taste, texture, and harvest timing. This guide highlights the best arugula varieties for home gardeners, helping you choose plants that thrive in your climate and suit your culinary needs.

Table of Contents

Top Arugula Varieties

1. Rocket (Classic Arugula)

Flavor: Peppery, slightly nutty
Growth: Fast-growing, ideal for cut-and-come-again harvests
Notes: Excellent for salads, sandwiches, and pesto; hardy in cool weather

2. Wild Arugula (Eruca vesicaria)

Flavor: Spicy, intense
Growth: Slow bolting, grows in loose, tender leaves
Notes: Adds strong flavor to mixed greens; best in small quantities

3. Astro Arugula

Flavor: Mild and tender
Growth: Slow to bolt, ideal for warm climates
Notes: Excellent for continuous harvest; grows well in containers and raised beds

4. Sylvetta (Baby Leaf Arugula)

Flavor: Mild with light pepper notes
Growth: Compact, fast-maturing
Notes: Perfect for baby leaf harvests and spring/fall sowings

5. Tricolor Arugula

Flavor: Mild and decorative
Growth: Fast-growing, colorful leaves
Notes: Adds visual interest to salads; suitable for ornamental and culinary use

6. Diplotaxis (Perennial Arugula)

Flavor: Robust and spicy
Growth: Perennial in mild climates, produces over multiple seasons
Notes: Great for gardeners wanting a long-term arugula patch

Tips for Choosing Varieties

Flavor Preference: Choose mild varieties for salads; spicier types for cooking or mixed greens.
Bolting Resistance: Slow-bolting varieties extend harvest during warm weather.
Growing Conditions: Consider climate and whether you’ll grow in containers, raised beds, or traditional garden plots.
Succession Planting: Mix varieties for continuous harvest and varied flavors throughout the season.

My Experience

In my experience, combining Rocket for fast harvests and Astro or Sylvetta for extended growing seasons provides both flavor variety and a steady supply of arugula. Container gardeners often prefer Astro for its slow bolting and tender leaves.

Comparison Chart of Arugula Varieties

Variety	Flavor	Growth	Best Use	Bolting Resistance
Rocket	Peppery, nutty	Fast	Salads, sandwiches	Moderate
Wild Arugula	Spicy, intense	Medium	Mixed greens, cooking	High
Astro	Mild, tender	Medium	Containers, continuous harvest	High
Sylvetta	Mild, light pepper	Fast	Baby leaf harvests	Moderate
Tricolor	Mild, decorative	Fast	Salads, ornamental	Moderate
Diplotaxis	Robust, spicy	Slow, perennial	Long-term patches, cooking	High

Selecting the right arugula variety ensures a flavorful, abundant harvest all season long, whether you’re growing in beds, pots, or raised containers.