A cool-weather root vegetable of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), native to Scandinavia and Finland and also called swede, Swedish turnip, or yellow turnip. NC State Extension describes a slow-growing, spreading biennial grown as an annual that forms a swollen edible root best harvested at 3-5 inches across, topped by deep blue-green, deeply lobed leaves growing close to the ground. It wants full sun, good drainage, and a steady inch of water a week — drought stress turns the root woody and bitter. Heat-intolerant, it is grown for a fall or early-winter harvest and reaches maturity in roughly 90-120 days.