Common Name: Garlic Mustard

General Information

Alliaria petiolata is an erect, biennial plant producing a single stem (occasionally more) up to 125cm tall from a taproot. The stem is only branched near the top[].
The plant is often harvested from the wild for local use as a food and is also used as a medicine.
This species can be invasive - it has become established in the native vegetation of many countries outside its native range, It has been declared a noxious weed in several States of N. America, for example[]. It should not, therefore, be introduced to areas outside its natural range[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Europe - Norway to Spain and Portugal, eastwards through Asia to Kazakhstan, India; N. Africa - Morocco, Tunisia

Habitat

Damp hedgerows, edges of woods and other shady places, preferring basic soils[, , , ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Biennial
Height	1.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant is tolerant of a wide range of conditions, including seasonally inundated; dry sandy forests; full sun to fairly deep shade; a wide range of pH values; soils from sands to heavy clays; low fertility and humus rich[]. It prefers a damp rich alluvial soi and a position in dappled shadel[, , ]. Succeeds in damp shady places where few other herbs will grow[].
The plant produces a rosette of green leaves close to the ground in its first year of growth. This rosette remains green through the winter and develops into a mature flowering plant the following spring[372.
A good woodland edge plant, it also grows well in the bottom of hedgerows[] and will self-sow freely in suitable conditions[].
On a calm day the plant emits a strong smell of garlic. This is especially pronounced if the leaves are bruised[].
This species is an important food source for the orange-tip butterfly[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - raw or cooked as a potherb or as a flavouring in cooked foods[, , , , , , ]. A mild garlic and mustard flavour, the leaves are also believed to strengthen the digestive system[]. They can be finely chopped and added to salads[, ]. The leaves are often available all year round, with young leaves being produced very early in the year - at which time they provide a very acceptable flavouring for winter salads[]. The leaves are rich in vitamins A and C[].

Flowers and young seed pods - raw[]. A mild, garlic-like flavour[].

Medicinal

Garlic mustard has been little used in herbal medicine[].
The leaves and stems are antiasthmatic, antiscorbutic, antiseptic, deobstruent, diaphoretic, vermifuge and vulnerary[, ]. The leaves have been taken internally to promote sweating and to treat bronchitis, asthma and eczema[].
Applied externally, the leaves have been used as an antiseptic poultice on ulcers etc[], and are effective in relieving the itching caused by bites and stings[].
The leaves and stems are harvested before the plant comes into flower and they can be dried for later use[].

The roots are chopped up small and then heated in oil to make an ointment to rub on the chest in order to bring relief from bronchitis[].

The juice of the plant has an inhibitory effect on Bacillus pyocyaneum and on gram-negative bacteria of the typhoid-paratyphoid-enteritis group[].

The seeds have been used as a snuff to excite sneezing[].

Other Uses

A yellow dye is obtained from the whole plant[].

Propagation

Seed - sow outdoors in situ either in spring or autumn. Seeds generally require a period of cold stratification before they will germinate, so sowing in the autumn makes most sense[]. Seeds can germinate at temperatures not much above 0°c, allowing them to get an early start and outcompete many other plants[].
A small portion of the seeds can remain viable for up to 4 - 6 years in the soil[].