What is at risk from a garlic mustard invasion?
Kearns says that the garlic scented plants can carpet a forest floor, crowding out native wildflowers. Tree and shrub seedlings can also be displaced, preventing long term regeneration of canopy trees and native shrubs. Recent research has shown that chemicals in the roots of garlic mustard can inhibit the mycorrhizal fungi that certain tree roots use to draw nutrients from the soil. It appears that these 2- to 3-foot tall plants have the ability to stunt the growth of trees that tower over them. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a biennial herb that ranges from 2 to 40 inches in height as an adult flowering plant. Seeds germinate in spring and will show up as a carpet of small seedlings beneath the dead flowering stalks from last year. In their first year of growth the plants form a basal rosette of rounded leaves with toothed edges. They over-winter as green rosettes, giving them a boost over native plants in the spring. Second-year plants start growing as soon as the weather wa
