ExplorePlants

garlic mustard

Alliaria petiolata

Garlic mustard is a leafy plant that smells like garlic when you crush its leaves! It grows in shady places and can be found in many parks and gardens.

Habitat: Forests

Appearance

The garlic mustard has heart-shaped, scalloped basal leaves that form a rosette, later developing into upright stems with triangular, toothed leaves. It blooms with clusters of small, four-petaled white flowers at the stem tips. Its seed pods are long and slender.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderBrassicalesFamilyBrassicaceaeGenusAlliaria
garlic mustard
aromatic trait badgeflowering trait badgebiennial trait badgeshade_tolerant trait badge
garlic mustard

Category

Plants

Rarity

Common

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

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Interesting facts

Even though it's small, it can take over whole sections of shaded forests!

Garlic mustard can actually change the soil, making it tough for some forest fungi.

Its roots can smell like horseradish when pulled fresh from the ground!

Some people call it "poor man's mustard" because of its spicy taste.

Special abilities

Ability

Chemical Warrior

Garlic mustard can release special chemicals from its roots that make it harder for other plants to grow nearby, helping it dominate an area.

Ability

Early Bird Advantage

This plant can sprout and grow leaves much earlier in spring than many native plants, grabbing sunlight and nutrients before others wake up.

Ability

Seed Powerhouse

Garlic mustard can produce thousands of seeds from just one plant, which can stay alive in the soil for years, waiting to sprout.

Measurements & details

Height
30-90 cm
Spread
30-60 cm
Flower Size
0.5-1 cm
Bloom Season
Spring
Edible
Yes
Toxicity
None
Lifecycle
Biennial
Pollination Method
Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

European Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Provides early spring nectar for many insects.

eaten by

Small Cabbage White

Pieris rapae

Its caterpillars sometimes munch on garlic mustard leaves.

depends on

White Oak

Quercus alba

Its chemicals can harm the fungi oaks rely on for nutrients.

Traits

Also known as

Garlic plantMustard plant

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before touching or eating any plants.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall is garlic mustard?

30-90 cm

How wide does garlic mustard spread?

30-60 cm

How big are the flowers on garlic mustard?

0.5-1 cm

When does garlic mustard bloom?

Spring

Is garlic mustard edible?

Yes

Is garlic mustard toxic?

None

What is garlic mustard's lifecycle?

Biennial

How is garlic mustard pollinated?

Insect

Snap Map

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Where to spot

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