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*Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieberstein) Cavara & Grande. Common name: Garlic Mustard, Hedge Garlic. Phenology: Apr-Jun; May-Jun. Habitat: Moist forests in bottomlands and on slopes. Distribution: Native of Europe. This species has become a noxious weed in ne. United States, invading undisturbed moist forests. Fernald (1950) describes it as "roadsides, open woods, and near habitations, local". Dhillion & Anderson (1999) report on physiological characteristics that make Alliaria a successful invader in shaded situations.

ID notes: Fresh plant smelling strongly garlicky.

Origin/Endemic status: Europe

Synonymy : = Ar, C, FNA7, GrPl, Il, K1, K3, K4, Mi, NE, NY, Pa, RAB, Tn, Va, W, Al-Shehbaz (1988b), Rollins (1993), Stace (2021); = Alliaria officinalis Andrz. ex DC. – F, G; = n/a – Tat

Links to other floras: = Alliaria petiolata - FNA7

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
  • Great Plains: FACU
  • Midwest: FAC
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FACU

Heliophily : 4

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image of plant© Gary P. Fleming
image of plant© Daniel Cahen, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Daniel Cahen source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Ron Frumkin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ron Frumkin source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Gary P. Fleming | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Scott Ward source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Daniel Cahen, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Daniel Cahen source CC-BY | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Jennifer Ogle, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jennifer Ogle source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Grzegorz Grzejszczak, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Grzegorz Grzejszczak source CC-BY-SA | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© J. Burke Korol, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by J. Burke Korol source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Samuel Brinker, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Samuel Brinker source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Michael John Oldham, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Michael John Oldham source CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Erik Danielson source | Original Image ⭷
image of plant© Edwin Bridges | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Erect, colony-forming biennial of moist forests in bottomlands and on slopes. Native of Europe.

Stems: Stems simple or branching (sometimes from base), hairy or smooth; consists only of a basal rosette of leaves the first year.

Leaves: Basal leaves long-petiolate, rounded to kidney-shaped, to 4 in. long, scallop-edged to coarsely toothed; stem leaves alternate, petiolate (petioles reduced upward), triangular, 1-3 in. long, coarsely toothed. All leaves have prominently incised veins.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in short, dense terminal racemes, which elongate as flowers and fruit develop; white, 1/4-1/2 in. wide, consisting of 4 spreading, oblong petals.

Fruits: Fruit an erect-ascending, green, linear-cylindric pod.

Comments: Leaves and stem exude odor of garlic when crushed. A highly invasive weed in moist forests, where it aggressively outcompetes native species.

Height: 1-3 ft.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Erect, colony-forming biennial of moist forests in bottomlands and on slopes. Native of Europe.

stems: Stems simple or branching (sometimes from base), hairy or smooth; consists only of a basal rosette of leaves the first year.

leaves: Basal leaves long-petiolate, rounded to kidney-shaped, to 4 in. long, scallop-edged to coarsely toothed; stem leaves alternate, petiolate (petioles reduced upward), triangular, 1-3 in. long, coarsely toothed. All leaves have prominently incised veins.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in short, dense terminal racemes, which elongate as flowers and fruit develop; white, 1/4-1/2 in. wide, consisting of 4 spreading, oblong petals.

fruits: Fruit an erect-ascending, green, linear-cylindric pod.

comments: Leaves and stem exude odor of garlic when crushed. A highly invasive weed in moist forests, where it aggressively outcompetes native species.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: Europe