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Garlic Mustard

Alliaria petiolata

Summary 6

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a biennial flowering plant in the Mustard family, Brassicaceae. It is native to Europe, western and central Asia, and northwestern Africa, from Morocco, Iberia and the British Isles, north to northern Scandinavia, and east to northern India and western China (Xinjiang). In the first year of growth, plants form clumps of round shaped, slightly wrinkled leaves, that when crushed smell like garlic. The next year plants flower in spring, producing cross...

Ecological threat in the united states 7

Garlic mustard poses a severe threat to native plants and animals in forest communities in much of the eastern and midwestern U.S. Many native widlflowers that complete their life cycles in the springtime (e.g., spring beauty, wild ginger, bloodroot, Dutchman's breeches, hepatica, toothworts, and trilliums) occur in the same habitat as garlic mustard. Once introduced to an area, garlic mustard outcompetes native plants by aggressively monopolizing light, moisture, nutrients, soil and space. Wildlife species that depend on these early plants for their foliage, pollen, nectar, fruits, seeds and roots, are deprived of these essential food sources when garlic mustard replaces them. Humans are also deprived of the vibrant display of beautiful spring wildflowers.

Garlic mustard also poses a threat to one of our rare native insects, the West Virginia white butterfly (Pieris virginiensis). Several species of spring wildflowers known as "toothworts" (Dentaria), also in the mustard family, are the primary food source for the caterpillar stage of this butterfly. Invasions of garlic mustard are causing local extirpations of the toothworts, and chemicals in garlic mustard appear to be toxic to the eggs of the butterfly, as evidenced by their failure to hatch when laid on garlic mustard plants.

Distribution and habitat in the united states 8

Garlic mustard has been reported to be invasive in natural areas throughout the northeastern U.S. and in scattered localities in the Midwest, Southeast, western states, and Alaska. It occurs in moist to dry forest habitats, forest edges, floodplains, and along roadsides and disturbed lands and is not tolerant of highly acidic soils. White-tailed deer assist in its spread by eating native plant species that they prefer and are adapted to eat, leaving the garlic mustard behind.

Prevention and control 9

Garlic mustard seeds can survive for five or more years in the soil. Effective management requires a long-term effort. Hand removal of plants along with the roots, is effective for light, scattered infestations. Flowering plants can be cut low to the ground in spring to prevent seed production but cut plants can resprout. Careful hand removal and bagging of plants with mature fruits can be done as soon as fruits are present. Systemic herbicides containing glyphosate are effective but repeated treatments are usually needed because of the large seed stores in the soil. Researchers are investigating potential biological control agents but none are available at this time.

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) AnneTanne, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/78746377@N00/403203256
  2. (c) Dietmut Teijgeman-Hansen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/reisgekki/5639571717/
  3. (c) Bill Higham, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/22691568@N04/14176116615/
  4. (c) NY State IPM Program at Cornell University, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/99758165@N06/18737102862/
  5. (c) Ondřej Zicha, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/917.jpg
  6. Adapted by Kate Wagner from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliaria_petiolata
  7. (c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22948498
  8. (c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22733845
  9. (c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22733848

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