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Invasive Species in Amherst State Park

Alliaria periolata - Garlic Mustard

Infestation Photo

photo by  WNY PRISM

June 5, 2015

Close up Photo

photo by  WNY PRISM

June 5, 2015

Close up Photo

photo by  WNY PRISM

June 5, 2015

    Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolate) is an invasive culinary biennial herb in the mustard family, that originated from Europe and Asia. Kidney shaped green leaves with white flower clusters which bloom from April through June. Garlic Mustard was first recorded in the United States in 1868 in New York. It smells like garlic when crushed.

    Garlic mustard form dense stands that choke out native plants the understory by controlling light, water, and nutrient resources. In the Northeastern United States, there are no fungi or insects that feed on this plant and has caused it to dominate the undergrowth of forests.  It greatly reduces the biodiversity of many species.