Garlic Mustard | National Invasive Species Information Center

Scientific Name

Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara & Grande (ITIS)

Common Name

Garlic mustard, hedge garlic, sauce-alone, jack-by-the-hedge, poor man's mustard, jack-in-the-bush, garlic root, garlicwort, mustard root

Synonym

Alliaria officinalis Andrz. ex M. Bieb. (ITIS)

Native To

Europe (Munger 2001)

Date of U.S. Introduction

First discovered in 1868 (Munger 2001)

Means of Introduction

Cultivated for food and medicinal use (Cavers et al. 1979)

Impact

Crowds out native species (Munger 2001)

Garlic mustard, flowers in May

Credit

Photo by Jody Shimp; Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Source

Invasive.org.

Find more images

Spotlights

Watch for Garlic Mustard Aphids
- May 2022
- Indiana Native Plant Society.
- A European aphid that is only known to eat invasive garlic mustard has recently been found in the Midwest. If you see garlic mustard with curled leaves or aphids, help researchers studying this insect by sending in a report. Because the aphids may help control invasive garlic mustard plants, they are working with citizen scientists to map their distribution.
Garlic Mustard in the Midwest: An Overview for Managers [PDF, 4.6 MB]
- Sep 2021
- Midwest Invasive Plant Network.
- MIPN synthesized recent research on garlic mustard and developed recommendations to help managers navigate sometimes-conflicting information about whether and how to prioritize management of this species. This 12 page guide includes a decision-support tree and a box discussion of best practices for volunteer pull events.

Distribution / Maps / Survey Status

Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System (EDDMapS) - Garlic Mustard
- University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
- Provides state, county, point and GIS data. Maps can be downloaded and shared.
Pest Tracker - Survey Status of Garlic Mustard
- USDA. APHIS. Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey. National Agricultural Pest Information System.

Videos

Vimeo - Stemming the Tide: Garlic Mustard ID & Control
- Vimeo; Wisconsin Forest Projects.
YouTube - Garlic Mustard
- Google. YouTube; Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

All Resources

View and Filter All Garlic Mustard Resources

Selected Resources

The section below contains highly relevant resources for this species, organized by source.

Council or Task Force

Fact Sheet: Garlic Mustard [PDF, 537 KB]
- Jan 2014
- Alberta Invasive Species Council (Canada).
- See also: Fact Sheets for more information about individual invasive species, including those listed as "Prohibited Noxious" and "Noxious" under the Alberta Weed Control Act
Invasive Plants of Ohio: Fact Sheet 3 - Garlic Mustard [PDF, 214 KB]
- Ohio Invasive Plants Council.
- See also: Invasive Plants of Ohio for worst invasive plant species identified in Ohio's natural areas
Priority Species: Garlic Mustard
- Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. Washington Invasive Species Council.
Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - Garlic Mustard
- Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council.

Partnership

Alaska Exotic Plants Information Clearinghouse (AKEPIC): Species Biography - Garlic Mustard [PDF, 118 KB]
- Feb 7, 2011
- University of Alaska - Anchorage. Alaska Center for Conservation Science.
- See also: Non-Native Plant Species List for additional factsheets (species biographies) and species risk assessment reports of non-native species present in Alaska and also non-native species currently not recorded in Alaska (potential invasives)
Global Invasive Species Database - Alliaria petiolata (herb)
- IUCN. Species Survival Commission. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Invaders Factsheet: Garlic Mustard
- Ontario's Invading Species Awareness Program (Canada).
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States - Garlic Mustard
- University of Georgia. Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
Invasive Species Compendium - Alliaria petiolata
- CAB International.
New York Invasive Species Information - Garlic Mustard
- New York Invasive Species Clearinghouse.
Texas Invasives Database - Alliaria petiolata
- TexasInvasives.org.

Federal Government

Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) - Alliaria petiolata
- USDA. FS. Rocky Mountain Research Station. Fire Sciences Laboratory.
PLANTS Database - Garlic Mustard
- USDA. NRCS. National Plant Data Center.
U.S. National Plant Germplasm System - Alliaria petiolata
- USDA. ARS. National Genetic Resources Program. GRIN-Global.

State and Local Government

Invasive Species Best Control Practices - Garlic Mustard [PDF, 449 KB]
- Mar 2018
- Michigan Department of Natural Resource; Michigan State University Extension. Michigan Natural Features Inventory.
- See also: Best Control Practice Guides for more guides
Fact Sheet: Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) [PDF, 257 KB]
- 2014
- New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food. Division of Plant Industry.
- See also: New Hampshire's Prohibited Invasive Plant Fact Sheets for additional invasive trees, shrubs, vines, and herbaceous plants
Invasive Species Leaflet - Alliaria petiolata [PDF, 192 KB]
- Mar 2010
- North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Forest Service.
- See also: Forest Health Publications for more Invasive Species Leaflets
Class A Noxious Weed: Garlic Mustard
- Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board.
Field Guide: Invasive - Garlic Mustard
- Missouri Department of Conservation.
- See also: Invasive and Problem Plant Control (scroll to Invasive Plants section) for more information to help you identify and control most common invasive plants in Missouri
Garlic Mustard
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Invasive Plants in Pennsylvania: Garlic Mustard [PDF, 160 KB]
- Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
- See also: Invasive Plant Fact Sheets for plant species (trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and aquatic plants) that have impacted the state's natural lands
King County (Washington) Noxious Weed Control Program - Garlic Mustard
- King County Department of Natural Resources (Washington). Water and Land Resources Division.

Academic

Controlling Non-Native Invasive Plants in Ohio's Forests: Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)
- Ohio State University. Extension.
Garlic Mustard: Help for Stopping This Woodland Pest
- Michigan State University. Integrated Pest Management Program.
Insects, Pests, and Diseases: Garlic Mustard
- Pennsylvania State University. Cooperative Extension.
Introduced Species Summary Project - Garlic Mustard
- Columbia University. Center for Environmental Research and Conservation.
Maine Invasive Plants Bulletin: Garlic Mustard
- University of Maine. Cooperative Extension.
- See also: Natural Resources Publications for entire "Maine Invasive Plants" series
Ohio Perennial & Biennial Weed Guide - Garlic Mustard
- Ohio State University. Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center.

Citations

Cavers, P.B., M.I. Heagy, and R.F. Kokron. 1979. The biology of Canadian weeds.: 35. Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara and Grande. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 59(1):217-229.