Garlic mustard - Alliaria petiolata

Garlic mustard is an herbaceous biennial forb that is an aggressive invader of wooded areas throughout the eastern and middle United States. First-year plants are basal rosettes with green heart-shaped leaves (1-6 inches tall). The rosettes will remain green throughout winter and begin growing again very early in spring. Second-year plants produce one to several tall flowering stalks (1-4 feet tall) with large, triangular and coarsely toothed leaves. Flowers are small and white with four petals. Flowers occurs from late spring into early summer. The flowers give way to long, thin seed pods (siliques). In late summer or early fall the siliques mature, turn brown, and split open revealing small black seeds (BROKEN-LINK Miller 2003).

A strong garlic odor is present on all parts of the plant when crushed. Garlic mustard grows

in characteristic clumps, which are very visible in early spring due to this plant being much taller than most spring plants. First-year rosettes may be confused with violets. Garlic mustard can be distinguished by its strong garlic odor and the S-shaped crook just below the stem base.

Garlic mustard is native to Europe and was first introduced into New England during the 1800s for medicinal and culinary purposes. It quickly escaped cultivation and became established in the forest of the northeast. It has been gradually increasing its range and now occurs throughout much of the northeast. midwest, and parts of the southern Appalachians. Garlic mustard prefers rich, moist soils but can invade a variety of environments.

High shade tolerance allows this plant to invade high-quality mature woodlands that are usually resistent to invasion by most species. In the southern Appalachians, bottomland forest with rich soils are at most risk of invasion. Garlic mustard disperses quickly due to the seeds being transported on animals fur (often deer), hikers clothing, and bicycle and car tires. Initial invasion usually occurs along forest edges or trails. However, it quickly spreads and can form dense stands throughout the forest which shades and out-competes native understory flora. Since it begins growing very early in the season and is tall, it has the potential to restrict light from reaching spring ephemerals (Swearingen et al. 2002). For more information and control recommendations please click here.