If you've ever spent any amount of time battling invasive plants, it's easy to see them as evil. (I find myself especially thinking this when I'm crawling through thorn-infested multiflora rose thickets.) But taking on invasives this holiday weekend doesn't have to be a struggle -- it could actually bring some cheer into your life.
Thankfully, the recent rainy conditions have softened the drought-hardened soil, which had been as dry as a brick, making it easier than ever to deal with a common pervasive invader.This weekend, the timing's just right to get outside and pull some flowering garlic mustard before it goes to seed.
Garlic mustard, according to Invasive.org, "was first recorded in the United States around 1868, from Long Island, New York, and was likely introduced by settlers for food and medicinal purposes."
While it is known for its vitamin and antioxidant properties, its introduction by European colonizers created a tragic ecological impact. By incorporating the plant into the Northeast United States landscape, this prolific seeder has quickly blanketed forest floors, choking out important native species and disrupting the food web.
The Nature Conservancy notes that "a single garlic mustard plant can produce more than 7,000 seeds before dying." In addition to smothering spring wildflowers, the plant also releases toxins that deter other native species from taking root.
While garlic mustard is considered an edible plant with medicinal properties, it's best harvested for eating in early spring before it flowers; mature plants are bitter and contain trace amounts of cyanide.
Find a patch. First, know what to look for by Googling "garlic mustard." Once you understand what it looks like, do a walkabout and look for areas with part-sun to medium shade and moist, rich soil. (Although those are garlic mustard's preferred conditions -- it can also tolerate drier soil, too).
Once you find a suspected patch, use apps like Seek by iNaturalist or Picture This to confirm your finding. Be sure before you start pulling -- there are some native lookalikes!Make it a social event. Throw a garlic mustard-pulling party or work session -- you'll be amazed at how much you can eliminate with a few sets of extra hands.
"Read" a book while weeding. If you're more in the mood for "me time," consider downloading a good audiobook to enjoy while clearing away garlic mustard. I just listened to "Broken Country" by Clare Leslie Hall -- two thumbs up!
Note: By purchasing audiobooks from Libro.FM, you can select a local bookseller to receive a portion of the profits. Any Pennsylvania resident can also sign up online for a Free Library of Philadelphia card; link that to the Libby app, and you can check out a wide range of audiobooks.
Play the long game. Garlic mustard is a biennial plant, meaning it lives for two years. Penn State Extension notes that in this stage, it's less than eight inches tall and its "leaves form a basal rosette, meaning all the leaves emerge around a central, underground stem." Importantly, the crushed leaves smell like garlic.
In year two, known as the bolt year, Penn State Extension says "plants grow up to three feet tall, feature heart-shaped leaves with pointed, irregular teeth, with spring flowers growing in clusters of four-petaled flowers at the uppermost growing tip."
Routinely check your weeded area for the next five years. In a few years, you can really get a handle on infestations.
Plan to replace it with natives. Once you find and clear a patch of garlic mustard by hand, know that there are probably thousands of seeds just waiting to sprout. Before that can happen, consider planting natives that can hold their ground, including species like foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia), wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), golden ragwort (Packera aurea) and black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa).
For more info, visit extension.psu.edu/garlic-mustard.