Garlic mustard identification and control
Alliaria petiolata Garlic mustard, a Class A noxious weed, is a biennial or winter annual herb that generally grows 2-3 (up to 6) feet tall. Lower leaves are kidney-shaped with scalloped edges. Leaves feel hairless, and the root has an "S" or "L" shape just below the stem base. In spring, roots and new leaves smell like garlic, and small, four-petal white flowers appear clustered at stem ends, followed by long, skinny seedpods. This weed spreads by seed and can self-pollinate, helping it rapidly displace native plants along trails, in forests, and on riverbanks, among other areas. History and impacts Introduced from Europe originally as a food plant, this species is now a serious concern in forests across North America. Garlic mustard is an invasive non-native biennial herb that spreads by seed. Although edible for people, it is not eaten by local wildlife or insects. It is difficult to control once it has reached a site; it can cross-pollinate or self-pollinate,
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