Garlic Mustard
Alliaria petiolata
- Native to:
- Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Corse, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, East Aegean Is., Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sicilia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Didier Descouens
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Brassicaceae
- Genus:
- Alliaria
- Species:
- Alliaria petiolata
- USDA Symbol:
- ALPE4
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual | Biennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 120 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- white
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Black and (Bombus auricomus), Brown-belted bumble (Bombus griseocollis), Common eastern (Bombus impatiens), Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica), Two-spotted bumble (Bombus bimaculatus) Butterflies:American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Small White (Pieris rapae), 🛑West Virginia white (Pieris virginiensis)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- limited native value
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fragrant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers shaded woodland areas
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 90–120 days
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Seeds require light for germination. Cold stratification improves germination rates significantly.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI