Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a biannual
flowering plant in the Mustard family,
Brassicaceae. It is native to
Europe, western and central
Asia, and northwestern
Africa, from
Morocco,
Iberia and the
British Isles, north to northern
Scandinavia, and east to northern
India and western
China (
Xinjiang). First year of growth plants form attractive clumps of round shaped, slightly wrinkled leaves, that when crushed smell like onions. The next year plants flower in spring, producing cross shaped white flowers in dense clusters, as the flowering stems bloom they elongate into a spike-like shape. When blooming is done, plants produce upright fruits that release seeds in mid summer. Plants are often found growing along the margins of
hedgerows, giving rise to the old
British folk name of Jack-by-the-hedge. Other common names include Garlic Root, Hedge Garlic, Sauce-alone, Jack-in-the-bush, Penny Hedge and Poor Man's Mustard. The genus name Alliaria, "resembling
Allium", refers to the
garlic-like odour of the crushed foliage.
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