University Of Minnesota Extension Wild Edibles: Garlic Mustard

Press release from the University of Minnesota Extension:

May 23, 2021

Welcome to our summer series on wild edibles! Each week we will introduce you to a wild-grown edible plant and talk about the importance of proper identification, sustainability and etiquette when bringing wild-harvested plants to your table.

I hope you’ve heard of garlic mustard before, but if not here’s the low down. Garlic mustard was first introduced as a garden herb but escaped and has been causing problems ever since. It is an herbaceous plant that takes two years to reach maturity. Garlic mustard is allelopathic, meaning it produces chemicals that reduce the growth of neighboring plants, so when garlic mustard gets introduced into a site it can quickly outcompete native understory vegetation. Unfortunately it can thrive in fully intact forests. It’s also a prolific seed producer. Each 2-4’ tall, second-year plant can produce up to 100 seeds and those seeds remain viable for up to 7 years. 

I’m sure you’re wondering what food and community have to do with garlic mustard. Remember when I mentioned that it was introduced as a garden herb? You guessed it—it’s edible and makes great pesto and soup. I’ve recently started sharing the pulled plants (roots intact) with others. I gave a bag to a new neighbor and a few days later a container of garlic mustard curry appeared on my porch—yum!

Eating (and managing) an invasive species while creating community

I can think of no better way to manage garlic mustard than to plan a culinary-focused event! The best time to hold a culinary garlic mustard removal event is typically in early May before garlic mustard flowers.

University of Minnesota Extension has several resources to help you think about long-term invasive species and garlic mustard management, including a great publication on how to prioritize species and how to organize a removal event.

This press release was produced by the University of Minnesota Extension. The views expressed here are the author’s own.