Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Malvids: Brassicales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Alliaria petiolata
FAMILY
Brassicaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Learn more about Garlic Mustard from the Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
This species has become a noxious weed in northeast United States, invading undisturbed moist forests, per Weakley's Flora (2022)
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Alliaria petiolata
FAMILY
Brassicaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Alliaria petiolata
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Alliaria petiolata
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 088-13-001:
Alliaria petiolata FAMILY Brassicaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Alliaria officinalis
COMMON NAME:
Garlic Mustard, Hedge Garlic
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_alal8_001_lvd
)
JK Marlow jkm140421_532
April Buncombe County NC
Botanical Gardens at Asheville
Terminal tight clusters of small white flowers, opening progressing upward, per Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests (Miller, 2003).
)
JK Marlow jkm070519_086
May Avery County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
Now a noxious weed in northeastern US, invading undisturbed moist forests, per Weakley's Flora.
)
JK Marlow jkm070519_089
May Avery County NC
Blue Ridge Parkway
Leaves heart-shaped to triangular with coarse teeth and a garlic-like odor, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
JK Marlow jkm150605_139
June Watauga County NC
Glen Burnie Trail
Fruit 4-sided, erect to ascending pods, initially resembling stem branches, per Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests (Miller, 2003).
)
JK Marlow jkm150605_141
June Watauga County NC
Glen Burnie Trail
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Alliaria petiolata
FAMILY
Brassicaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Alliaria petiolata
FAMILY
Brassicaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Alliaria petiolata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Alliaria petiolata
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 088-13-001:
Alliaria petiolata
FAMILY
Brassicaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Alliaria officinalis
48
Forb
Winter annual/Biennial
Habitat: Moist forests in bottomlands and on slopes, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: Europe
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)
This plant is causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
- Alabama Invasive Plant Council, 2012
- Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2006
- Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2013
- Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council
- NC Botanical Garden
- NC Department of Transportation
- SC Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2014
- Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council, 2009
- US Fish & Wildlife Service
- US Forest Service Southern Research Station
- Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, 2014
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate, reduced upward
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
White
Radially symmetrical
4 sepals
4 petals
6 stamens slightly tetradynamous (2 short, 4 long)
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Silique
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Invasive Plants, Guide to Identification, Impacts and Control (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2007) p277
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests (Miller, Chambliss, & Lowenstein, 2010) p108
- Invasive Exotic Plants of North Carolina (Smith, 2008) p028
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p100
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p083
- Wildflowers of Tennessee, the Ohio Valley, and the Southern Appalachians (Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, & Duhl, 2005) p109
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p061
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
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