Wild Arugula

Four sprigs of wild arugula are arranged across a cream ground, printed in a single deep green that carries the characteristic texture of hand-carved linoleum. The largest sprig runs nearly the full height of the composition, its deeply lobed leaves fanning outward from a slender stem. The three smaller sprigs cluster around it at varying scales, giving the image a casual, gathered quality rather than a formal botanical arrangement.

White lines carved through the green areas define the leaf veins and give each sprig a lively, handmade character. Wild arugula, known botanically as Diplotaxis tenuifolia, is a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean region and distinct from the common cultivated variety. Its leaves are more deeply cut and deliver a sharper, more peppery flavor, making it a distinctive ingredient in Italian cooking in particular.

This Ana Inciardi mini print sits comfortably among the botanical subjects found throughout her catalog, where edible plants and garden herbs appear alongside flowers and foliage. Collectors are drawn to the arugula print because the subject sits at the crossroads of the culinary and the natural, giving it appeal for people who collect both food-focused and plant-focused work. The informal grouping of four sprigs at different scales also makes the composition feel observed rather than staged, which reflects a quality that runs consistently through her plant studies.

It pairs naturally with her other food prints, and collectors often bring it together with her herb and vegetable subjects to build a cohesive kitchen or dining space grouping. The initials "A1" visible in the lower right corner are consistent with how she signs editions of this format.