Garlic Mustard
Alliaria petiolata
Garlic Mustard - A biennial to short-lived perennial plant. Plant smells of garlic and can grow to around 3 feet in height.
Leaves: Basal leaves have rounded tips and are kidney shaped. Upper leaves are alternate and triangular in shape. Both types of leaves have leaf stems and are coarsely toothed. New leaves smell the most of garlic.
Flowers: Flowers bloom from April-June. Flowers have 4 petals, 4 sepals, and 6 stamens. Petals are white and about twice as long as the sepals.
Habitat: In Washington it grows in forested understory areas like urban parks, roadsides, trails, railroad tracks, streambanks, fields, slopes, and floodplains.
Weed Classification: A
Why is it a Noxious Weed?
Growth starts early in spring, allowing it to outcompete native and beneficial species that are still dormant. It also produces a high volume of seeds from each plant and the seeds can remain viable for 10 or more years in the soil. Finally, it also produces chemicals that disrupts other plant growth and some fungal growth.
Garlic Mustard can be very hard to get rid of once established, so if you see any in your area let us know!
Control Recommendations: