What is it?
Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a fast-growing (biennial) herbaceous broadleaf weed from Europe, first reported from Long Island in 1868. This species is now a common invasive exotic. It is a habitat generalist occurring in agriculture, rights-of-way, and disturbed and undisturbed hardwood forests. It invades the understory of many woodland types and quickly carpets the forest floor.

How do I control it?
Effective control means reducing or hopefully eliminating garlic mustard plants with little impact to native cooccurring species. Because it is a biennial with seeds that remain viable for several years, control is required for a number of years. Hand pulling individual plants may be possible in the earliest stages of an invasion.

For more control methods, click the Kentucky Woodlands Magazine article link to the right.