When nature comes alive again in the Spring and the April rains have slacked off a bit, I strap on my trail running shoes and take to the local hiking paths. In the forest, I enjoy looking at the wild plants I pass. I often note the many local (and invasive) edible plants along the trails as I run. Appearing in late spring throughout the early summer, and occasionally in late summer, is the garlic mustard plant.

I discovered the garlic mustard plant in much the same way as I have discovered cherry tomato plants where they should not be. It was a volunteer in my garden. One day in mid-August, I found an unknown leafy plant growing in an unused container. The container happened to still have soil in it. Since I had no immediate need for the pot, I allowed the plant to grow out of sheer curiosity. As it grew, I observed it in order to identify it.

Garlic Mustard Identification

Garlic mustard (scientific name Alliaria petiolata) is a member of the family Brassicaceae. This is the same family that contains the more-common White Mustard (also called Yellow Mustard) that makes up the mustard in your refrigerator. Arugula and kale, often sold alone or in grocery store salad mixes, are also members of this plant family. 

Brassicaceae plants have leaves which produce a pungent, spicy flavor. Plants produce flowers with four petals which produce seeds inside a bisected seed pod. The family resemblance is undeniable. 

Garlic mustard is typically found at the edges of wooded environments where there is partial sun. I have often spotted garlic mustard along hiking paths partially shaded by trees or at the edges of forest clearings. The plants don’t like full sun or full shade, but prefer something in the middle. You can often find garlic mustard in dappled sunlight where the soil is slightly damp. An area sunlight reaches beneath trees but not far from a stream or watershed is a great place to look.

Garlic Mustard Lifecycle

To properly identify the garlic mustard plant in the wild, you need to understand the plant’s lifecycle. Garlic mustard is a biennial plant. Biennial means that the plant has two distinct growing phases. These growing phases occur over the course of the garlic mustard’s two year lifespan.

Phase One

Phase one is the broad leaf phase, generally seen in early spring or late summer.  In this phase, garlic mustard is low to the ground and spreads out in a circle around a central point.  This plant shape is commonly called a rosette. The leaves in this phase are very flavorful. There are no flowers in this stage of the garlic mustard’s lifecycle. So the leaves contain nearly all the plant’s nutrients.

In this first phase the plant usually germinates in late February to early March. You may also find secondary germinations occur in mid to late August. Over the course of its first year, the plant grows in a circle about the size of a dinner plate. The leaves themselves grow about an inch or so wide. The leaves have round, scalloped edges and grow in clusters of three, similar to how white clover will grow. (I’ve previously done a deep dive into foraging for wild clover).

Phase Two

Phase two of the garlic mustard’s biennial lifecycle is the seed phase. In this phase, the garlic mustard plant will grow tall and stalky. Broad leaves similar to phase one fill out the bottom leaves while the leaves toward the top are more angular and come to a point at the tips. Mature leaves in this second phase get up to three times larger than they were in the first phase. The plant itself grows to 3 feet high in this second phase. Tiny, white flowers with four petals grow at the top of the plant.

When pollinated, these tiny flowers become long seed pods that alternate along the main stem. Garlic mustard seed pods can grow to 3 inches long when fully mature. The pods contain anywhere from 13 to 34, black, oblong seeds. Most seed pods that I’ve encountered contain an average of 20 seeds. 

These seed pods are bisectional, forming the seeds inside the pod alternately along a semi-clear membrane that bisects the entire seed pod. When the seed pods dry, the slightest movement will cause the seed pods to split open, scattering the seeds. This is one of the reasons that garlic mustard spreads so rapidly. Seed pods that burst open can scatter the seeds widely around the parent plant.

Is Garlic Mustard an Invasive Plant?

Garlic mustard originates in Northeastern Europe and was a dietary staple there. The earliest settlers brought it to America where it quickly grew out of control.

According to its entry in the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species, garlic mustard is considered invasive in Armenia, Australia, Canada, China, Iceland, India, and the United States.  However, not every state lists it in their state’s Invasive Species list. For example, Indiana does not list the plant as invasive, but Virginia does. This distinction doesn’t mean that the plant belongs in those states however. Listed or not, garlic mustard does displace local plant life and has very few natural predators in the United States.

Animals that typically eat leafy plants like deer and rabbits won’t touch garlic mustard because of its sharp flavor. However, goats eat garlic mustard and farmers sometimes use them to stop the plant from spreading before it produces seeds. Having animals eat invasive plants is called conservation grazing.

Another reason garlic mustard is so invasive is that it produces a chemical that leaches into the soil to discourage local plants from growing nearby. This is called allelopathy. It’s also why some vegetables in your garden don’t get along with others (peppers and tomatoes, for example).

Edible Parts of the Garlic Mustard

As mentioned, settlers to America brought this plant across the Atlantic and used it as a food source. No matter which of its phases the plant is in, all parts of the garlic mustard plant is edible. You can use the plant in the kitchen in a variety of ways. It lends a spicy kick to salads, sandwiches, sauces, stews, and more.

Leaves

The most obviously edible part of the garlic mustard plant is the leaves. Eaten straight, the leaves taste like arugula but maintains a deliciously spicy aftertaste that is slow to develop. Leaves are great fresh in salads or as a garnish like lettuce on tacos or sub sandwiches.

One common way to prepare garlic mustard leaves is to stew them down to create a pesto. A pesto is great on crackers, as a garnish on scrambled eggs or omelets, or as the sauce for ravioli.

Seeds

The seeds of a garlic mustard plant are one of its many edible gifts. When you grind these seeds in a spice grinder, they produce a sharp, peppery flavor similar to black pepper. You can also “pop” the seeds in cooking oil at the beginning of a recipe. This adds a little peppery undertone to skillet dishes like cacciatore or even spice up simple scrambled eggs.

Stems

In the second phase of its lifecycle, the stems become tall and woody. Basil plants will do the same thing if allowed to grow for long enough. It can be prepared like asparagus, but generally, once the stem becomes tough, it’s too difficult to prepare as it is. Leave the stem to dry out and grind it in a spice grinder instead. The powdered spice is a great addition to any kitchen. Use it in any recipe that calls for powdered or dried garlic.

Non-Ecologically Edible

Given how highly invasive the garlic mustard plant is, I consider it something of a civic duty to harvest it from the wild. I am often bringing home stems of it when I see it out on the public trails. Washed and prepared, it is a tasty addition to many spring and early summer meals. So if my good deed garners me a garnish, well, that’s all the reward I need.

Further Reading

If you want to learn more about edible wild plants found in your own back yard, check out my other posts about the common White Clover and the Purple Dead Nettle.