1. Guides
  2. Gettysburg Battlefield Species Identification Guide
  3. Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard

Alliaria petiolata

Appearance 2

The leaves of a juvenile plants are dark-green and kidney shaped with round teeth along the edges; average size of the leaves is 6 to 10 cm in diameter. The leaf stalk of first year plants are 1 to 5 cm long. In its second year, the alternating stem leaves become more triangular shaped, 1 to 5 cm long, and have sharper teeth, with leaves becoming gradually smaller towards the top of the stalk. Leaf stalks of mature plants are hairy. As with the younger plants, second year plants have a garlic odor when crushed but the odor is less obvious with increasing age.

Introduction 2

It was native to Europe and was first discovered in 1868. It was brought to the country to be cultivated for food and medicinal use.

Similar Native Species 2

Several native white flowered plants, the toothworts (Dentaria spp.) and sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii), bloom at about the same time as garlic mustard and may be mistaken for it. The leaves of native violets (Viola spp.) and the non-native creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederaea) may be mistaken for first year garlic mustard plants.

Impacts on Ecosystem 2

It has been known to crowd out native species in the area.

Citations 2

http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/plants/garlicmustard.shtml
http://www.nyis.info/index.php?action=invasive_detail&id=25
http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Invasives/fact/GarlicMustard.html

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) AnneTanne, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/78746377@N00/403203256
  2. (c) gburg2016, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

iNat Map

Category Invasive Species
Member of the iNaturalist Network   |   Powered by iNaturalist open source software |   Documentation for developers