Invasive Plants

With the mist lolling in and the fog sitting low today presented the perfect opportunity to sit and gather some thoughts while pulling up a large patch of Garlic Mustard. During my meditative weeding session I decided to do a small write-up on invasive plants, their threat, and possible uses.

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is native to Europe and was intentionally introduced into northeastern U.S. as a source of food, erosion control, and medicinal herb. High in vitamins A and C and the ability to treat gangrene and ulcers made this a prized species with many benefits. Unfortunately after being first sighted in Long Island, New York around 1868 its population went rampant. With no natural predators, high seed count, rapid growth and ideal conditions it spread throughout the States. Out-competing native plants garlic mustard poses a threat to plant and animal species.

Garlic mustard is a cool season biennial herb in the mustard family developing a long stalk, triangular heart-shaped, coarsely-toothed alternating leaves topped with four petaled white flowers. Similar in appearance and usually growing in the same region can be mistaken as sweet cicely, early saxifrage, and toothworts. Spends the first year as a low growth (2-4 in.) rosette, staying green through the winter, and shooting up a flower stalk the following year by mid-spring, producing shiny black seeds.

If spotted pull up making sure to get roots.


Following are a few pictures for identification and a couple recipes to prepare garlic mustard.

Wild Recipe