Garlic Mustard

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an invasive herb that has spread throughout much of the United States over the past 150 years, becoming one of the worst invaders of forests in the American Northeast and Midwest. While it is usually found in the undergrowth of disturbed woodlots and forest edges, recent findings have shown that garlic mustard has the ability to establish and spread even in pristine areas. This spread has allowed it to become the dominant plant in the undergrowth of some forests, greatly reducing the diversity of all species. Garlic mustard is one of very few non-native plants to be able to successfully invade forest understories (from The New York Invasive Species Clearing House).

Resources

USDA Plant Profiles provides background information, video clips, several maps of U.S. distribution, and links to selected federal, state and regional resources.

The NY Invasive Species Clearing House (CCE Invasive Species Program) provides information on biology and identification, impacts, prevention and control, additional resources and links to educational materials.

Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources provides description, ecological impacts, control methods, native substitutes and links to additional resources.

Last updated October 2, 2023