Garlic Mustard

Alliaria petiolata

Illustration: Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

Identification: First-year basal rosette of kidney-shaped toothed leaves; second-year stalk with triangular toothed leaves and small white 4-petaled flowers. Crushed leaves smell of garlic.

Dangerous look-alikes: No dangerous look-alike with the garlic scent — crush and sniff to confirm. Toothwort and others lack the scent.

Edible parts: Leaves, young stems, flowers, seed pods.

Season and habitat: Spring. Woods, trailsides — aggressively invasive.

Preparation: Pungent garlicky green — pesto, salads, sautés. Eating it is ecological service: it carpets eastern woods and crowds out natives, so harvest heavily and pull roots.