Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Family: Mustard Family (Brassicaceae)

Other Names: Hedge Garlic, Sauce-alone, Jack-by-the-Hedge, Poor Man's Mustard

Origin: Introduced From Europe

Historic First Bloom Seen: April 16*

GPS For Stand: N 39°04.760' W 84°24.944'

Interesting Facts: This plant is an exotic species introduced from Europe by the early settlers for its supposed medicinal properties and for use in cooking. Garlic Mustard is a rapidly spreading woodland weed that is displacing native woodland wildflowers in Ohio. Garlic Mustard is a major threat to the survival of Ohio's woodland herbaceous flora and the wildlife that depend on it. There are two modes of spread: an advancing front, and satellite population expansion possibly facilitated by small animals. Unlike other plants that invade disturbed habitats, garlic mustard readily spreads into and takes over densly populated forests.

*Average bloom time is based on a compilation of wildflower bloom times from 1975 to present.