Wild Mustard Wild mustard can cause yield loss and is a serious contaminant of canola seed. The leaves are alternate and coarsely- toothed. Like canola, the flowers are bright yellow.
Wild mustard has strong, downward-pointing hairs and is a much hairier plant than canola.
Also, in canola, the upper leaves clasp the stem whereas, in wild mustard, the upper leaves have stalks. As wild mustard matures, there is a purple colouring down the stem and close to where the leaf stems attach to the main stem. Wild mustard produces 2,000-3,500 seeds per plant. The seeds are brown to black and produce a gelatinous coating after soaking in water for a few minutes. Dry conditions early in the season tend to keep populations of wild mustard low.