An easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils and preferring a sunny position. It does well on poor land. Plants can self-sow when well-sited. 'Gold of Pleasure' is occasionally cultivated for the oil in its seed. This species is a bad companion plant, depressing the growth of nearby plants. It has become a noxious weed of cultivated fields in some of the areas into which it has been introduced.

An edible oil is obtained from the seed.

Seed - sow mid spring in situ.

A weed of corn and flax fields in Britain.